Pradel 'leaning toward' liquor license for Show-Me's

Less than a day after asking for more time to decide the fate of the Show-Me's liquor license, Naperville Mayor George Pradel said his mind is pretty much made up.

The St. Louis-based chain that features a sports bar and restaurant with scantily clad female servers applied for the license nearly two months ago. Since that time, neighbors have protested the proposed site at 1126 E. Ogden Ave, and the chain has been the subject of no fewer than three liquor commission meetings.

But Pradel, who also serves as the city's liquor commissioner, said Show-Me's President Ron Cote has “dotted his i's and crossed his t's” and done everything the city has asked of him throughout the process.

The location was zoned for restaurant use in 1980, has more parking than code requires and the owners aren't asking for any variances to the property. The owners also have promised to obey the city's clothing requirements for servers.

“I'm learning toward issuing the license,” Pradel said Friday. “So far there's no reason not to and if we get sued for denying it, no one wins. I need to look out for the best interest of the city in those respects as well.”

Initially, Pradel said he expected to have the issue resolved in late October but the community outcry and his research of the chain has forced him to postpone his decision more than twice.

The decision has cost him sleepless nights, he said, so he'd like to make a decision and move on. It pained him to ask for more time Thursday night but said he wanted a cushion to ensure he's explored every scenario.

“I definitely want to get rid of this before Christmas and just as soon as I can,” he said. “I'd like to move on to other things.”

Cote, who hoped to be open next week, also is ready to move on to other things, like figuring out how many TVs he can fit to show the NFL playoff games in mid-January.