After relentless city charges that Spices restaurant was morphing into a nightclub after dark, the owners of Spices decided to renovate the space and change it to Frida to maintain the venue as strictly a restaurant.

Spices was in danger of losing its liquor license before the owners decided to drastically alter the venue and agreed to stiff liquor-license conditions.

Assistant city attorney Jennifer Zilavy said the city requested that Spices’ liquor license expire after repeated complaints it was hosting DJs, serving alcohol to underage customers and allowing dancing without the required license.

Zilavy said the restaurant, located at 117 State St., was also accused of blocking fire exits when they moved tables to allow for dancing.

“They were not operating as they told the [Alcohol License Review Committee] they were going to operate,” Zilavy said.

Madison Police Department Sgt. Emil Quast said the department responded to complaints this year that Spices served alcohol to underage drinkers, admitted customers beyond its capacity limits and did not employ a licensed bartender.

Zilavy said the city withdrew the complaint against Spices after meeting with attorney Rick Petri, who represents owner Vincenzo Amodeo. Zilavy said the owners were planning a new restaurant and would agree to a 45-day suspension if the ALRC found any liquor-license violation.

“Their primary concern was this place better be a damn restaurant,” Petri said.

According to city law, a restaurant is defined as earning at least 51 percent of its sales revenue from food.

The conditions approved Aug. 5 by the City Council as part of the liquor-license renewal include reducing the total capacity of Frida from 320 to 160, closing one hour before bartime and limiting entertainment to television — radios or cassette players with DJs specifically prohibited.

Frida’s upper level must be limited to a banquet facility for private banquets, parties and receptions. Admission to private events cannot be given to members of the general public who pay a fee for entry.

Previously, Spices used private parties as a way to charge the public a cover charge to gain entry.

Frida must also serve lunch and dinner each day of the week and breakfast Saturday and Sunday.

ALRC member Kenneth Kamp said the conditions made the committee more confident that nightclub-like practices would not continue at Frida.

“We had a better feeling that they were going to be a restaurant rather than continuing as a nightclub under a different name,” Kamp said.

Quast said many downtown restaurants like Spices turn into a “booze bar” at night to use alcohol sales to increase revenue, an issue he said the city needs to address.

“Every time you add a booze-bar license to the downtown area, it generates [police] calls to the downtown area,” Quast said.

Quast said the city needs to make better plans to accommodate the increase in calls for alcohol-related crimes like battery and assault. He said rules could be made to allow nightclubs to exist, so police could focus on handling crime downtown rather than punishing bar owners.