The Oak Brook Village Board has received a request from some Oakbrook Center businesses that a new liquor license classification be created that allows for the sale and consumption of alcoholic beverages in manners that don’t conform to current standards.
“In general, department stores, shopping centers, and malls are looking for new and innovative ways to create an experience that shoppers cannot replicate online,” Village Manager Greg Summers said. He said the large department stores at Oakbrook Center have indicated they are struggling to maintain their market share of consumers.
“Nordstrom, Neiman Marcus and Macy’s are looking for ways to enhance the guest experience and have expressed interest in allowing their adult customers to purchase alcoholic beverages while perusing the store merchandise,” Summers said. He said those three stores currently operate full-service restaurants that have liquor licenses, but are limited to keeping alcohol service within the defined cafe areas.
Two mall businesses, Crate & Barrel and Restoration Hardware, both of which offer full-service restaurants inside their stores, maintain liquor licenses that allow customers to purchase alcoholic beverages and consume them while walking around the stores. The two establishments are bound to the applicable conditions and requirements such as following stricter signage rules, taking responsibility for ensuring consumers do not leave the store with drinks by affixing a sensor to the drinkware and requiring branded non-transferrable wristbands.
“These two locations have not experienced any reported issues related to the sales of alcoholic beverages on their premises,” Summers said.
He said entertainment businesses are occupying a growing percentage of retail centers in an attempt to attract and retain consumers on site as a compliment to retail offerings.
“This category encompasses users such as our current Class I, which is specific to the movie theater,” Summers said. “However, other mall entertainment uses, such as Electric Gamebox have long been pursuing this type of approval. Key differentiating factors, however, include the duration of the average length of stay and the more substantial food offerings of a movie theater.”
Another request to serve liquor has come from jeweler C.D. Peacock, which wants a license that allows for complimentary service of liquor with retail sales.
“The license would limit service to those in conjunction with a sale and served without charge to the customer,” Summers said. “While a present draft is specific to their location, it is expected other similar retailers may then want to follow suit.”
Summers said that while the increase in sales tax from the beverage sales and increased merchandise sales is a tangential benefit to the village, there are logistical challenges that will need to be addressed if more locations are permitted to broaden liquor sales, especially if larger stores are permitted licenses.
“These logistics include enforcement of age restrictions, monitoring of consumption across broad store areas, enforcement of the liquor boundary control — exiting multiple store egress points without carrying out — and the potential for over consumption, especially if those locations are not paired with food service,” he said.
“Staff continues to work with the Village Board to review the new liquor license requests, as well as revisions to existing classifications, to find the solution that best balances the requests of these businesses with the proper service controls and public expectations to ensure that we provide the best possible experience for shoppers and diners, without compromising the qualities that make the experience great in the first place.”
More Village Board discussion is coming on whether to allow additional businesses at Oakbrook Center to sell alcoholic beverages, but the initial reaction from some board members included some concerns.
Board member Michael Manzo said he favors allowing businesses, on a case-by-case basis, to seek approval to sell and serve alcoholic beverages, rather than creating new license classifications.
“It basically takes it out of our control, being the board,” Manzo said. “It is no longer case by case. It’s now a classification. So, we don’t have the ability so say no. If it fits one of these new four classifications, our decision is made for us, and that’s a little bit dangerous.”
Board member Suresh Reddy said the village must keep its businesses going to keep taxes low (the village doesn’t levy a property tax). However, speaking as a physician, he had a different take.
“As a physician, are we prompting alcoholism?” he asked, while expressing concern over several potential problems that stem from alcoholism.
“The more restrictions we have on alcohol, the better for society,” he said.
“I understand this is a trend we need to consider,” board member Larry Herman said. “I’m generally in favor of doing this, very carefully, with all the appropriate safeguards, security.”
Chuck Fieldman is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.
