Doughbrik’s Pizzeria denied later hours of operation

A trendy Sunset Strip pizza parlor won’t be ruffling its neighbors’ feathers any later in the night after the Business License Commission denied its request for extended hours of operation.

Doughbrik’s Pizza had requested to stay open one hour later Thursday through Sunday in order to serve crowds leaving the bars in the area, but other businesses on the Strip and residents of the adjacent Hollywood Hills neighborhood made it clear they were not on board with the plan, even though City Hall supported it.

The request was denied in a 2-2 vote, with Chair Elyse Eisenberg and Commissioner Catherine Eng voting against, and Commissioners Danny Hang and Mark Yusupov voting in favor. Commissioner Anthony Vulin was not present, and newly appointed Commissioner Jordan Cockeram has not yet been sworn in.

“I’m concerned that the supervision of the restaurant is not where it should be,” Eisenberg said. “I’m concerned that we don’t have enough police officers or sheriffs out at late hours when the clubs get out, and they’re already burdened,” she said. “It’s a fallacy that people sober up after hours.”

The denial doesn’t bode well for Heart WeHo, the Rainbow District bar whose own request to extend its hours till 4 a.m. was continued to the commission’s next meeting.

The nail in the coffin for Doughbrik’s request came when it was discovered that the restaurant had been employing at least one security guard carrying a firearm without a special permit, which is prohibited by the City of West Hollywood — something manager Frank DeAndre was apparently not aware of.

“We do have a corporate office and they deal with a lot of that because I’m the general manager of a pizza establishment that has long hours a lot of customers,” DeAndre said. “So I’m running around taking care of operations. I know about the operation side — parking, the neighbors, dealing with all of that. I am here to talk about operational issues.”

Eisenberg called his attitude “cavalier.”

Even though they voted in favor of an amended motion that would have granted Doughbrik’s the extended hours for a six-month trial period, both Hang and Yusupov were also troubled by the flood of objections.

“One of our primary concerns is the lack of sufficient parking for Doughbrik’s restaurant,” wrote resident Aaron Kamin. “Its customers often park illegally on neighborhood streets, blocking traffic by stopping and/or parking in front of red painted curbs and ‘No Parking Anytime’ designatons. Some even caravan park there for hours at a time and eat and drink in and around those prohibited spaces, creating significant hazards and burden for residents who struggle to find safe and reasonable driving access to and/or parking near their homes.”

Carney’s next door has also had ongoing issues with the pizza parlour.

“They do not have any parking or restrooms for their customers which has become a nightmare for my business,” wrote owner John Wolfe. “Their customers park in my lot, use my restrooms and leave their trash scattered all over the parking lot. How is a restaurant allowed to open without parking or a restroom?”