Monee officials still are unsure about an ordinance that would allow patrons to bring their own wine and beer to food establishments that do not serve alcoholic beverages.
The addition of a Bring Your Own Bottle liquor license in Monee has been in discussion since mid-November, when Village Attorney Larry Gryczewski told the board one or two restaurants in the village, which are struggling financially, could possibly benefit from a BYOB license.
The proposal immediately met with a less-than-enthusiastic response from the trustees, who voiced numerous concerns and questions.
The board, however, agreed at the time that Gryczewski could draw up an ordinance to be reviewed and considered after researching the issue.
John Terrell, owner of Eat the Bone BBQ, told the board on April 9 that allowing the BYOB license would, for him, mean he could “foster this business growth, while enhancing our customer experience.
“Our motto is ‘We give you a dine-in experience in a carry-out environment.’ So dine-in allowing this model will make our restaurant more competitive, attracting a wider audience, who value the flexibility of bringing their own beverage. By offering BYOB, we would create an inviting atmosphere that encourages longer visits, longer group gatherings, and repeat customers.
“It also will directly benefit other businesses in the area because of the number of people who will come in.”
Terrell said that not having an in-house bar will “cut our cost. Instead of having an actual bar that we have to keep stocked …this allows us to keep the attention on quality of food, keeping the higher quality of food, instead of having to stock a bar and keep a bartender there.”
Terrell said he and his wife, Carol, want to offer live entertainment events, such as the karaoke they recently hosted.
“Every person who was there wanted to have a drink to sing,” he said.
“But since they couldn’t have a drink, they just fizzled out,” Carol Terrell added.
She said there are other events they want to sponsor, including Paint and Sip, where patrons bring their own wine and create artwork on canvas.
“And we have musicians who come in who want to play jazz for us, but they have a customer base who won’t come unless they can drink their beer and their wine. So, it’s a lot of events that we can do to bring customers in, and we have a stage for it, but most of our customers say they would rather go to a place where they can enjoy their meal and have a drink with it.
“We’ve gone to other barbeque restaurants, and most of them have beer and wine, and it attracts people because they also have entertainment. So, that’s what we’re trying to do, bring more people into the village.”
Under terms of the ordinance, the restaurant owner would have to complete some required training, go through a background check, and would be required to have costly Dram shop liability insurance. According to the village attorney, “There’s a lot of liability from the restaurant owner.
Moreover, he said the ordinance would place limits on the number of bottles or drinks a patron could bring into the restaurant.
Gryczewski had previously explained the new classification would allow a customer, over the age of 21, to bring wine or beer into “a restaurant, not a gaming facility or a bar” and the bottle “would have to be sealed.”
“They can then pour it at their table, just for their (party) only. It can’t be for other patrons inside the facility.”
But village trustees still had concerns during their April 9 meeting.
“This is something that would probably be a good ordinance for a town that needs it,” Trustee Heidi Gonzalez said, in the discussion.
“But I don’t think Monee needs something like this. There will be far too few, I think, that it would pertain to, as we alluded to probably a month or so ago. And right now, I don’t think we need it.”
Trustee Scott Youdris agreed, “I think I have a problem with the risk of policing it and trying to enforce it,” he reasoned, “you know, controlling it and the type of alcohol that is brought in, how it’s served, who is able to access it.
“I want to support our businesses, and I want to see our businesses flourish. I am just not convinced this is the way to go.”
Trustee John Henson said he felt the ordinance needed “to be a little bit more tweaked and a little bit more detailed.
“I would think we also would need to look into the live entertainment, and if we were to vote on it tonight, I would not be able to vote either way.”
Trustee Michael Wilson, professionally a police chief in another suburb, said, “I want to help (businesses), but my concern is how do you police this with limited staffing and, if you do bring in the clientele that you’re projected to bring in, how do you monitor that when you have someone taking orders and then you have to watch several different groups?
“These things could become a problem. They’re not a problem until they are a problem.
“Right now, I’m not comfortable in being able to sign off on it.
We have to tweak it and have further discussion. But as of now, we need to dial it in a little bit.”
Trustee Youdris wondered about what the ordinance should say about having one or two glasses of wine and what to do with the remainder in the bottle.
He also pointed out the annual license fee for a BYOB would be less than for other businesses.
“That gives an unfair advantage to the businesses that have chosen (BYOB).
“So, we’re not talking about making an ordinance just for Eat the Bone, we’re making an ordinance that’s going to be for every other business in town that possibly wants to look at this.
“So, I would agree with Trustee Henson and Trustee Wilson. I think we should not be voting on this tonight. I think we need to look into it. I think it needs far more detail taken care of before we do anything.”
Trustee Doug Horne noted, “We have different categories of liquor licenses for different establishments, and I see this as just establishing another category to help our businesses.”
Horne later added, “We know you’ve invested your retirement savings into this business to make it work, and I would say to this board, we have an interest in its success, as well, with the TIF funds that we’ve provided. So to me, it’s a win-win for everybody.”
Monee Police Chief Scott Koerner told the board that enforcement of the ordinance wouldn’t be a problem.
“Not really,” he said. “If the ordinance empowers those who are running these businesses to understand their responsibilities, it’s no different than gambling machines in gas stations or the bars or anything else.
“They police themselves, for the most part. They don’t want the problems within their establishment. So if we have a problem, we handle it.”
At the end of the discussion, Mayor Therese Bogs thanked Paula Matherly, owner of Straight Home bar, for her input on the issue.
Matherly told the board during public comments that she and several liquor license holders and some residents had concerns about the BYOB ordinance.
She said liquor license holders in Monee pay more than the $500 annual fee required for BYOB “and also collect a one percent sales tax for Monee.”
She also asked if BYOB establishments would “be required to have liquor liability insurance, as well as an insurance rider to allow THC-infused alcohol?”
Matherly also questioned the definition of alcohol that would be allowed.
“Are customers bringing in alcohol-food or homemade alcohol that could have illegal levels of alcohol or illegal substances in them?”
In addition, she asked if the bottle of alcohol, once opened, would be left on the patrons’ table “for unlimited consumption by any or all at the table without responsible serving taking place.
“These are just a few of the questions and concerns that we have.”