Politics & Government

Trustees Approve Sale of Alcohol Outside Restaurants

The village board passed an ordinance allowing local restaurant owners to serve alcohol on the public right of way.

Residents could soon enjoy a glass of wine, margarita or any other alcoholic beverage while dining outdoors at local restaurants.

At Tuesday's village board meeting, trustees approved a special liquor license that would allow restaurant owners to serve alcohol on the sidewalks outside their establishments.

An earlier version of the of the ordinance required restaurant owners to install a fence or hanging rope around the outdoor dining area to designate a specific zone where patrons could drink alcohol. The idea behind corralling diners was to prevent them from getting up and wandering the sidewalks with alcohol.

"I could foresee, potentially in court, the argument being, 'Well, how was I supposed to know I was supposed to stay by the table?'" asked Glen Ellyn Police Chief Phil Norton.

Norton and the rest of the village staff recommended the fence to help enforcement but Trustee Robert Friedberg said the problem then becomes, what constitutes a fence? It is something Friedberg wanted the board to stay away from, especially when it comes to deciding which fences are acceptable.

Even though the village board amended the motion and in doing so omitted the requirement of fencing, they did include a line that stated a fence could be required at a later date.  

After an application process, the village will permit these business owners the new $100 liquor license for a three-year trial period. During the course of the three years village officials will watch and see if fences are necessary.

In the meantime, restaurant owners will have to serve alcohol in containers that are from the restaurant -- another provision trustees believe will deter patrons from walking away with alcohol. If served cans or bottles, village trustees think that may encourage someone to walk away with the drink.    

Olga Jimenez, manager at , is excited and said the new license is a good thing. She is full of ideas for what this could mean for the area between her restaurant and the parking lot.

"If we could get that paved we could have at least four little tables right there -- that's our goal," said Jimenez.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here