Non-Quota

The city council voted at the last meeting to move forward with two important steps on the liquor license front. First, they decided to issue a non-quota, FULL liquor license to the Green Lake Marina (opening in the next week, I think) based on the fact that the building complies with the non-quota requirement of seating capacity for 300. So the city, the fire department, the police chief, and the building inspector all went down to the building to eye and determine that it meets the criteria. This is going to be recorded by the city clerk. Incidentally, we pointed out the to city three years ago that the Nordic Village Building (formerly JT skewers) meets the same criteria (might even been more square footage than the marina), and they discussed FINALLY going to check it out. This is an important point. Read on..
The second important step is that the city issued a notice of revocation to Nordic Village/Agent Steve Sorenson (atty) based on the fact that the JT Skewers business wasn't open for 150 days in the license period. There's more to this story, but essentially, they have the right to a hearing to dispute the facts and defend their point. This meeting is being scheduled now.
But it looks like they can still keep a full liquor license based on capacity. So we're working with them and the city to get the 300 capacity recorded and basically swap out the license in hopes that the city will issue it to Two Chez.
There's been a lot of commenting on how 'We knew we would only get a beer/wine license when we opened'.. Just to comment back on that - we did know. We were also told by the city that they would be working to increase the quota. And beer/wine was okay for the first year or so. But the business is growing and people have expectations - especially tourists. Plus, a business doesn't have the same needs in it's sixth year as it does in it's first. Who the heck cares anyway. If we want to sell drinks we should be able to. That's what people do - they eat, and they drink.
And for the record, every week we have people walk in the door, and turn around and walk out when they find out they can't have a martini. It's hard enough to get new people in the door, and a real bummer when they walk out. And most of them comment on how ridiculous it is that we aren't allow to serve.
Next meeting with the city should be Monday.