BATON ROUGE - Kristen Guarisco is the owner of Belli, a market/restaurant that just opened up in the historic building formerly known as Capitol Grocery in the Spanish Town neighborhood.

Currently, Guarisco sells basic groceries, hot food, coffee, and some light beers. She wants to expand those offerings to include craft beers and wines, but must obtain a liquor license in order to sell anything with an alcoholic beverage volume of 6% or higher.

Guarisco says from the moment she took over the building, she knew neighbors did not want it to become a liquor store because they believed it would attract crime to the area. Her intention is not to sell hard liquor at Belli.

"I knew it was up to the neighborhood to trust me that I would never have liquor, so me and my landlord drafted a contract stating there will never be any hard liquor sold at the building," Guarisco said. 

Still, when Guarisco filed a notice of intent to apply for a liquor license, she started hearing pushback from the Spanish Town Civic Association. Guarisco claims she was dissuaded from attending the association's most recent meeting, although she's been trying to join since April.

"At this meeting is when the neighborhood civic association board took a stance," she said. 

That stance included some opposition to the liquor license for Belli. Guarisco understands the high turnover of businesses in the building may have soured the board's perspective, but still wants them to give her a fair chance. 

"If I could make assumptions I would say that they don't want a business here at all," Guarisco said.

In order to continue to keep her business afloat, adding more alcohol to her menu would be greatly beneficial. And that's why Guarisco says she made a petition that already has more than 60 signatures from residents in the area. 

"And if the liquor license doesn't work, I will find another way to save this spot and make sure it stays in business. But the easiest way to bring in business is do what the neighbors are asking for and that's what they want!"

Guarisco will meet with the ABC Board next Thursday to discuss her application and get an update. Until then, she plans to keep serving her loyal customers one day at a time.