By Patrick Hedlund
DNAinfo News Editor
LOWER EAST SIDE — Popular Inwood lounge Mamajuana will meet with Lower East Side neighbors to discuss potential issues related to the restaurant's plan to open on Norfolk Street next year.
Representatives from the Dominican-themed nightspot — whose original uptown outpost has proven to be a big draw for locals — appeared before Community Board 3's liquor license committee Monday to pitch its proposal to take over the former Tonic music venue at 107 Norfolk St.
But before ruling on the restaurant's request to serve booze, the board asked that Mamajuana first meet with members of the Rivington Street Block Association to go over any possible problems posed by the operation, said the restaurant's general manager, Victor Santos.
"We're still going ahead with everything," he said Wednesday, noting that Mamajuana will reappear before the Board 3 committee next month and is waiting to lock in its lease until the liquor license is approved.
"We're not trying to come in and be a bad neighbor," added Santos, a former NYPD police officer who will oversee day-to-day operations at the Norfolk Street restaurant. "We'll see what their needs are so we can address them from the beginning."
The four-year-old Mamajuana in Inwood has encountered problems due to its popularity, with neighbors complaining of patrons spilling out onto the streets and creating quality-of-life disturbances — an issue familiar to many Lower East Siders.
"I know what it takes and what I need to do to comply with the State Liquor Authority laws," said Santos, noting that he believed his work as a police officer would help him mitigate any concerns caused by the new operation.
"We have to work with the community," he added. "We have to be good neighbors."
