Naperville Show-Me’s gets longer hours, maybe outside seating

Naperville’s Show-Me’s restaurant and bar, known for its spicy wings and saucy servers, has managed to keep a low-enough profile through the winter to be rewarded with longer operating hours and consideration for an outdoor seating area.

Since opening in early February at 1126 E. Ogden Ave., Show-Me’s had been under a special restriction requiring a midnight closing time. All other Class B bars in the city are permitted to stay open until 1 a.m. on weeknights and 2 a.m. on weekends but the city’s liquor commission, headed by Mayor George Pradel, required the earlier closing to satisfy concerns of the bar’s residential neighbors.

“Since the license was issued on Feb. 4, through the expiration of that license on April 30, the mayor received zero complaints about noise from Show-Me’s. So there was no rational basis to continue the restrictions when they reapplied for their license,” said liquor commission attorney Jill Pelka-Wilger. “They have been operating under the normal hours for 12 days now. As the city prosecutor I am unaware of any complaints in regard to entertainment and noise violations.”

Owners also are seeking permission to open a patio by applying for an outdoor seating permit separate from the liquor license. The permit application will be discussed during a May 23 closed-door meeting of the liquor concept committee. That committee will then make a recommendation to the city’s liquor commission, which ultimately will decide whether to allow outdoor seating.

Pelka-Wilger said Show-Me’s also has a separate “very restrictive” permit that allows for live music, dancing by patrons only and amateur performances like karaoke.

Naperville police Sgt. Gregg Bell said the restaurant “hasn’t caused any problems” for the police department.

“Aside from one or two folks trying to skip out on a bill, we haven’t had any problems there at all,” he said.

The dress code provision, which requires servers to wear at least cuffed shorts and a T-shirt, remains in place.

Wilger said she believes Pradel addressed one dress-code complaint filed by Michael Lovelace, who is president of the adjacent Copperfield Village Town Homes Association. Lovelace said he was offended when his server sat at his table and was not wearing cuffed shorts.

“They were Spandex,” he said.

Lovelace said Wednesday the town house residents he represents are angry the city did not make it clear that things could change when a new license was issued.

“I don’t remember the midnight closing time and lack of outdoor seating being presented as a trial or probation-type hearing,” he said.

Show-Me’s President Ron Cote, contacted Wednesday afternoon, said the restaurant was following the dress code “to a T.” He directed calls about the outdoor seating and extended hours to one of his vice presidents who did not return calls Wednesday and Thursday.

Pradel also did not return calls placed Wednesday and Thursday.