La Grange Adapts With Loosened Liquor Rule: Official

LA GRANGE, IL – La Grange has long required that food make up at least 60 percent of sales at restaurants that serve liquor.

That was meant to keep out bars.

On Monday, the Village Board voted unanimously to lower the threshold to 50 percent. (Trustee Peggy Peterson was absent.)

At least one restaurant was reported to be struggling with the requirement.

Trustee Beth Augustine, who has called for changing the ratio before, said the issue had been under discussion for years.

"This is a fairly old ratio that was put in place. It was a good idea to curb the town from allowing bars and saloons in," she said. "It's worked well. But now customers' uses of restaurants have changed, and we need to change along with it."

Augustine said the village was listening and adapting.

"I know not everyone wanted this exact ratio. Some wanted it to be different. Some wanted it to be gone altogether, but I think it is the right thing for now," she said.

Among those who urged fully repealing the ratio was Todd Van Cleave, chairman of the Citizens Council of La Grange. He emailed the Village Board about it over the weekend.

"Moving the line from 60/40 to 50/50 underscores the core problem: the number is arbitrary," he said in the message. "If 60/40 can become 50/50 overnight, it could just as easily become 55/45 – or swing back again – forcing our businesses and staff to perpetually readjust."

In the place of the ratio, the village should require a fully operational, licensed kitchen to be open during normal dining hours. And he said the village should retain its authority to tailor conditions for any establishment that needs more oversight.