Can controversial pizza restaurant near north Tacoma school serve alcohol?
Amid controversy over “rowdy” karaoke nights at a pizza restaurant in Tacoma’s North End, neighbors and commenters online have questioned whether the restaurant can legally serve alcohol given its proximity to an elementary school.
Bigfoot Pizza and Bar is located near Lowell Elementary School, which was built in 1949. Students at the school have been attending classes in the former Skyline Elementary School building since fall of 2024 since the school has been under construction. The district plans to reopen Lowell this fall, according to the district’s website.
Here’s what state law says: LCB can choose to withhold liquor licenses from establishments if they’re within 500 feet of a public school and if the school submits an objection to the application within 20 days of receiving a notice of the application. According to Google Maps, Bigfoot is 358 feet away from Lowell.
Tanisha Jumper, a spokesperson for the Tacoma School District – which oversees Lowell – said the district did not issue any objections to Bigfoot’s liquor license.
“Under current board policy, [the district] would not object to an application absent of extenuating circumstances that warranted objection,” Jumper wrote in a statement to The News Tribune.
Bigfoot has been operating under its current ownership since 2021. According to the Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board, the restaurant has had its spirits, beer and wine restaurant liquor license since 2023.
Sam Guter, a spokesperson for the Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board, said the restaurant had a beer and wine restaurant license since 2021, but added spirits in 2023.
