Not a surprise, nor an outrage, that Oak Park, a town that was dry for a century and has expanded liquor sales only by the ounce over recent decades, would now require a license for Bring Your Own Bottle (BYOB) service in local spots that choose not to have a full liquor license.
Buzz Café became the first applicant for the new license and owner Laura Maychruk said the initial $250 application fee, the $500 annual fee and some incidental costs will bring her price tag to about $1,000. The Buzz has long allowed diners to bring their own wine to dinner and, says Maychruk, that’s just what happened — maybe twice a week. Now with a $1,000 nut to crack, this entrepreneurial owner says she will create some incentives for diners to BYOB.
You can argue with the annual fee, but to us it makes sense for local government to require that any establishment serving alcohol must have its staff take the simple state training on safe procedures for serving. This is a common-sense extension of liquor laws recommended by the citizen commission overseeing liquor licenses, not some affront to our freedom.
