La Grange May Relax Restaurant Liquor Rules

LA GRANGE, IL – La Grange is looking to ease one of the key requirements for restaurants that serve alcohol.

On Monday, village trustees are set to vote on lowering the threshold for food and non-alcoholic beverage sales at such restaurants.

Now, an alcohol-serving eatery must generate at least 60 percent of sales from food and other beverages. The village is considering lowering that to 50 percent.

According to meeting minutes last month, John Janowski of Milk Money Brewing told the Liquor Commission that his eatery had been struggling to meet the 60 percent requirement.

Resident Jon Powell said he spent a lot of money outside La Grange on alternative options unavailable in La Grange, the minutes stated. He noted that a nearby town was dry 20 years ago, but now has many options.

A couple of years ago, Trustee Beth Augustine suggested at a meeting that the village loosen its rule for alcohol sales at restaurants.

"A lot of these restaurants survive these days on the margins provided by a good cocktail, serving great wine and selling some craft beer," she said at the time.

The 60 percent rule is "prohibitively difficult" for local restaurants, Augustine said. Increasing the percentage, she said, would make La Grange more attractive to restaurants.