Council Denies Class A Liquor License For Bar The Hour

WHEATON, IL — The Wheaton City Council unanimously denied Bar The Hour's application for a Class A liquor license Monday. In its denial, the council challenged whether the business, approved to occupy 120 N. Main St., meets the restaurant requirements outlined in the city's liquor classification code.

The city's liquor commission had recommended denial on the same grounds, noting that the commission "inquired about the ability of the applicant to provide a wider variety of kitchen equipment, i.e. a full range, grill, etc."

Additionally, members "raised concern about the kitchen's seemingly limited capacity combined with the combination of incongruous activities, such as pool and darts," per city documents.

Commission members said they "believed more needs to be done to expand the food offerings to serve a reasonable variety of meals for its customers before they would recommend a liquor license for this business."

At Monday's meeting, John Swain spoke on behalf of Bar the Hour, contending that "we were told the menu that we offered did not include all major food groups. We proved that we do."

“We’ve got pizza, salmon, other lean proteins, roasted veggies, desserts," Swain said.

Swain mentioned that the business has accommodated several requests from the city, including adding sinks and removing pool tables.

“We kept peeling away the layers of the onion only to find non-substantial reasons for us not receiving a recommendation," Swain said.

He added, "We expect the same criteria that others, on the same block, in the same year, and prior years,were given liquor licenses. Regardless of the class, it’s the same fast food service and full menu requirements and rules that apply."

According to documents provided to the City of Wheaton, Bar The Hour's draft menu includes charcuterie boards, hot and cold sandwiches and wraps, sweet and savory crêpes and dessert options.

For council member Scott Brown, Bar The Hour's wealth of proposed entertainment and dining options is part of the reason for denying the Class A license.

Brown said, "What the space is being used for, just seems a bit of a hodgepodge, from ice cream to dancing to games to restaurant to...it lacks a real identity from my end, so I get the complexities that it must have sounded like for the liquor commission."

City Manager Mike Dzugan said that in the wake of the liquor license denial, Bar The Hour may change its model to meet the Class A liquor license requirements or may apply for another liquor license classification.

He added that they may also appeal the decision to the Illinois Liquor Control Commission or "could seek an amendment to the liquor code creating a new license to meet their use."

According to liquor commission documents, the petitioner had expressed they would still move forward with the business if a liquor license was not approved. Swain did not immediately respond to a request from Patch about what the business has planned for its next steps.