The Willow Glen Resident At long last, The Glen pours beer until 2 a.m. Billiards hall celebrates its first anniversary By Michelle Ku This Friday the 13th, John Karamanos has good reason to feel lucky. Not only has his newly renamed establishment, The Glen, reached the one-year mark, but also he's gained what he has long sought: a permit to pour drinks until 2 a.m. To celebrate, he's dovetailing The Glen's first late night with a one-year anniversary bash. Between changing its name, surviving the smoke-free-bars law and battling with the neighbors and the city over a 2 a.m. permit, the combination billiards hall, brewpub and dining establishment endured a rough first year of existence. "I'm a Willow Glen resident; I understand why Willow Glen is as tough as it is," said Karamanos, co-owner of The Glen. "You want to bring the right mix of businesses down there. As long as everyone plays by the rules and as long as everyone else is held to the same standards we're held to, we have no problems with that." The Glen's first 2 a.m. night comes nine months after the Planning Commission approved its trial six-month conditional use permit for Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays. The later closing hours didn't start sooner because of all the "paperwork and bureaucracy," Karamanos said. The Glen had to modify its Alcohol Beverage Control permits to accommodate the later closing time. "You have to go through and modify all the permits. Unfortunately, all the things didn't happen overnight. It's a long process," Karamanos said. While The Glen, then called Willow Glen Billiards and Brew, technically opened in July 1997, owners Horst Brenner and Karamanos decided not to hold the anniversary party in July of this year. "We wanted to make sure we had 2 a.m. when we did it," Karamanos said. Although The Glen has earned its six-month trial period, some neighbors on Blewett and Meredith avenues are still wary about late-night noise and people parking on their streets. "We're going to see how it goes. It's supposed to be a six-month trial. That's what was agreed to by the city. We're totally opposed to it, but they have to show us," said Peggy Rossignol, a Meredith Avenue resident. "Downtown Willow Glen is just not the right place for that. We have the zoning in downtown San Jose for after-hour types of places. Willow Glen is not zoned for that." In addition to the battle for the 24-hour use permit, The Glen has faced other problems this past year. The "no smoking" law that went into effect on Jan. 1 adversely affected The Glen's business. Before The Glen opened, the owners purchased and installed an elaborate air-filtration system and humidified cigar lockers in the upstairs portion of the building. Karamanos was hoping the state would set ventilation standards that bars and restaurants could meet to retain smoking, but that was not done. "You can't smoke inside The Glen anymore, but you can buy [cigars] there," Karamanos said. Customers cannot smoke indoors, but park benches have been set up outside for people who buy the cigars and choose to smoke them at once. "Cigar sales, obviously, have gone down substantially," Karamanos said. "We sold like hundreds in a week and now we're lucky if we sell that in a year. Cigar sales have crumbled." Despite these problems, Karamanos has been optimistic since the name change in August. "[The name] Billiards and Brew had a certain stereotype associated with it, but now a lot of the residents hang out there," Karamanos said. In fact, Karamanos boasts, The Glen has become so popular that dinner customers are often turned away. "If you don't have a reservation on a Thursday, Friday or Saturday, it's almost impossible to get in for dinner," he said. "It's amazing what that name change did," Karamanos said. "People are now willing to try it. Before people walked by... but now they're willing to look in and once they come into our doors, it exceeds their expectations." The Glen will not have a special guest list for the anniversary party, Karamanos said. "This is more for the public. The way we view The Glen is it's a neighborhood social center," Karamanos said. Festivities begin at 9 p.m. with no cover charge, said Rick Arcari, general manager of The Glen. The band Milk, primarily a '70s rock & roll group, will perform and food and drink specials will be featured. [ Back to Contents Page | Willow Glen Resident Home Page | Archives ] This article appeared in the Willow Glen Resident, November 4, 1998. ©1998 Metro Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved.