Interior of John Brown's Underground, 7 E. Seventh St.

The speakeasy-style bar and restaurant John Brown’s Underground has received a six-month extension of its temporary drinking establishment license and has new plans for food sales in the works.

Following a six-month probationary period, the City Commission approved the extension this week, with the condition that John Brown’s continues to increase its food sales. Lawrence law requires 55 percent of sales to come from food in order for a venue to hold a liquor license.

The food sales requirement is typically evaluated every two years, but the city has been reviewing John Brown’s numbers on a monthly basis after it did not meet the requirement last year to renew its license. Food sales at John Brown’s have been increasing over the past six months, but only met the requirement — reaching 56 percent of sales — in the last month, according to City Clerk Sherri Riedemann.

“They had six months to get to that point and they did, and now we want to look at it for another six months to ensure that they continue to show that they can keep it at that, and it wasn’t just a one time deal,” Riedemann said.

Riedemann said that the city recommended the extension of the temporary license because John Brown’s saw steady increases of food sales during the initial probationary period. She also noted that upgrades to the building’s kitchen are the works.

A renovation of the kitchen at John Brown’s, 7 E. Seventh St., is nearly complete, and a new dining option is forthcoming for the upstairs space of the building, according to executive chef Sarah Hess. Hess said that “Wake the Dead,” an all-day coffee and doughnut shop, is set to open in mid-March, and that John Brown’s will continue to offer its full menu downstairs.

The 55 percent ordinance was implemented in 1993, and at the time existing Lawrence bars and restaurants were “grandfathered” in and not required to meet the sales rule. John Brown’s opened in 2014.

Riedemann said that during the next six months, city staff will continue to track the venue’s food sales and will make another recommendation at the end of the extended probationary period.