New Hours Set for Burr Ridge Restaurants

The Monday night approved an amendment to a village zoning ordinance, modifying the permitted hours of operation for restaurants with liquor licenses.

According to the amendment, restaurants that serve liquor can now stay open until midnight Sunday through Wednesday, 1 a.m. on Thursdays and 2 a.m. on Fridays, Saturdays and for special events.

"What does the liquor ordinance say about New Year’s Eve?" asked Trustee Leonard Ruzak. "New Year’s is going to fall on a Monday, and according to the ordinance now, they'd have to close at 12 o'clock."

Village board members decided that New Year's Eve would fall under the category of a special event and agreed that restaurants could stay open until 2 a.m. that night, nomatter what night of the week the holiday occurred.

J. Douglas Pollock, the village's community development director, said all restaurant owners and operators in Burr Ridge were invited to a meeting to discuss the amendment to the ordinance in November. Pollock said all of them agreed to the change.

Prior to the amendment, Pollock said restaurant hours varied on a case by case basis. He said that the change would extend hours for some of the village's restaurants.

"None of the restaurants were authorized to stay open until 2 a.m. Most closed at midnight or one," Pollock told Patch. "This amendment will maintain consistency [for all restaurants in Burr Ridge.]"

The four members of the board that were present for Monday night's meeting, Trustees Al Paveza (sitting in for Mayor Gary Grasso,) Leonard Ruzak, Bob Sodikoff and Maureen Wott voted unanimously to pass the amendment to the ordinance, which will take effect immediately.