Carolyn Fath Ashby
The large event space at Garver Feed Mill will be used for weddings, community events and other receptions.
The operators of the Garver Feed Mill are asking the city for a liquor license for the event space at the historic factory on Madison’s east side.
The new license, in the name of Garver Events LLC, would replace the current liquor license for the site held by Underground Kitchen & Delicatessen LLC, operated by Underground Food Collective. Ald. Marsha Rummel, whose district includes Garver, confirms that Jonny Hunter and Underground are no longer providing the catering at Garver and her understanding is that Baum Revision, the project’s developer and operator, and Hunter have mutually agreed to part ways.
Hunter did not respond to an email seeking comment. Bryant Moroder, Baum’s project manager for Garver, did not return a phone call and an email requesting comment. Jeffrey Glazer of Ogden Glazer + Schaefer, an attorney assisting Baum in its application for the new liquor license, declined comment “at least for now.”
In June, Hunter sought to transfer an existing liquor license for 809 Williamson St. to Garver; the city council approved the transfer in July 2019.
Isthmus in December detailed financial and legal troubles for Hunter following the closure of two of his restaurants, Forequarter and Underground Butcher. Hunter said when Forequarter closed that Underground would be focusing more on the new space at Garver. But as of mid-December Underground Catering was no longer listed as a tenant on Garver’s website, and the “catering” page on Underground Food Collective’s website was no longer active.
The license in the name of Underground Kitchen & Delicatessen is still active at the 3241 Garver Green event space, says deputy city clerk Jim Verbick. There can be only one liquor license per premises, confirms assistant city attorney Roger Allen, who adds that Garver Events will have to prove during the license approval process that it controls the licensed premises.
Baum’s liquor license request, before the city council on Jan. 7, will be recommended for referral to the Alcohol License Review Committee, says Ald. Mike Verveer, a member of the committee. Verveer says he hopes the discussion will be moved to the February ALRC meeting in order to give Baum Revision time to hold a neighborhood meeting on the license.
The ALRC’s June 2019 discussion of Hunter's proposed license transfer centered largely around levels of live and recorded music, but current neighborhood concerns are likely to focus on parking, as high attendance events like the Dane County Farmers’ Market Late Winter Market have proven the Garver lot to be inadequate.
