New owners of a downtown Columbus restaurant hope to make a seamless transition. That’s after the Columbus Redevelopment Commission last night recommended approval of a riverfront liquor license for the new owners of Tre Bicchieri on Washington Street.

The city controls 15 riverfront liquor licenses meant to enhance the downtown area. But the riverfront liquor licenses are non transferrable and the DeClue family which has owned Tre Bicchieri since it opened in October 2006 are selling the restaurant in January to a group called the Grandview Associates LLC.

Grandview Associates is Barbara Piotrowski and Christopher Braun according to documents filed with the city.

Heather Pope, director of the city’s redevelopment department, said that the next steps will be for the mayor to approve the application and send a letter to the state liquor control authorities. The local alcohol control board will then hold a hearing and give its final approval recommendation to the state for the new license.

Jeff Rocker, attorney for the partners, said that they expect to have the new license in hand by January after that month’s board hearing, but there are allowances under state law that will let the restaurant continue serving alcohol in the interim.

The restaurant will officially transfer hands at midnight Dec. 31st and after an inventory on Jan. 1st, will reopen Jan. 2nd. Plans are for the restaurant to be open Monday through Saturday serving lunch and dinner. The restaurant will have about 20 employees, with three being salaried and the rest hourly, according to the application.

Of the 15 liquor license controlled by the city, 10 are in use, Pope said. The DeClues will surrender their liquor license when the new license is issued to the Grandview Associates.