Birmingham Residents Target Griffin Claw, Claim Customers Monopolize Neighborhood Parking

Griffin Claw Brewing's business may be booming, but not everyone is pleased with the company's success. Some Birmingham residents want to put the brakes on the brewpub's planned expansion, which would eliminate 18 of the bar's parking spaces, according to The Detroit Free Press.

"On any given Thursday through Saturday night, we already have Griffin Claw patrons parked up and down our streets," neighborhood resident Brian Renner tells the paper.

The restaurant, which seats 130 patrons indoors and 60 more on the outdoor patio, made concessions early on to appease concerned locals by opting to close at 11 p.m. on weeknights and midnight on weekends—earlier than most bars. Additionally, the reporter notes that even without the 18 spaces, the brewery is still offers six spaces more than the city's required number for a business of its size.

"We're just trying to capitalize on our success, but we're always trying to be good neighbors—in fact, a lot of the people here in our tap room walk in from the neighborhood," says Brandon Wright, general manager of Griffin Claw.

The proposed expansion was approved by the Planning Commission last month, but now must receive approval by the City Commission. A public hearing is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. tonight at Birmingham City Hall.

In a post on Facebook the company urged fans to attend and show their support for the expansion:

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