Luxe approved to expand to adjacent site

Birmingham's popular Luxe Bistro received unanimous approval from the Birmingham City Commission on Monday, November 9, to expand into the adjacent former shoe store in order to enhance its functionality and add spacing between tables during the coronavirus pandemic. Birmingham Planning Director Jana Ecker explained the Bongiovanni family, who owns Luxe, is proposing to extend their 31-foot storefront and add an additional 28 feet in width, “which will allow them to spread out, improve their functionality and allow better social distancing. “They are planning to keep the existing restaurant mostly the same,” Ecker said, other than changing the entrance, creating a new host stand, expanding seating into the window of the former shoe store, and creating a lunch dining counter with five seats which would double as a preparation bar. They plan to expand the kitchen in the back and walk-in coolers. The regular bar seating will go from 10 seats to six. Inside the bistro, they will expand seating from 54 seats to 65, the maximum permissible under a bistro ordinance license. Outdoor dining will increase from 12 to 48 seats. Hours will remain the same, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Outdoor dining closes at midnight. Commissioners voted 7-0 to approve the revised final site plan and design and special land use permit amendment.