Liquor licenses OKd for new Binny’s, Smashburger

Liquor licenses were approved Monday night for Binny’s Beverage Depot, which plans to open a store early in November, and Smashburger, a restaurant that opened last week.

Both are in the Annex Shopping Center at Rand and Arlington Heights roads on the north side of Arlington Heights.

Binny’s licenses allow the store to sell all kinds of alcohol and to hold tastings. Under the license, wine tastings are limited to samples of 1 ounce; beer, 2 ounces; and all other kinds of alcohol ¼-ounce.

Adding beer to the tasting license is new in Arlington Heights, said Robin Ward, assistant village attorney.

When word of Binny’s intentions to open a store in the village leaked in the spring, owners of current liquor stores complained, saying the village should limit the number of liquor licenses.

A large Binny’s could put up to half of the village’s 30 liquor stores out of business, Jerry Rosen, executive director of the Beverage Retailers Alliance of Illinois, said at the time.

No one protested the license Monday night.

The store will have 22,000 square feet, John Melaniphy, the village’s business and development coordinator, had said previously.

Village President Arlene Mulder, who is also the liquor commissioner, said Monday the board is “very, very pleased at the new excitement in the Annex, which has suffered vacancies for a period of time.”

Vacancies there had reached 60 percent, Melaniphy said.

Meanwhile, Smashburger will be allowed to serve beer and wine.

Mark Imburgia, acting as general manager at Smashburger during the opening period, said the chain has seven restaurants in the Chicago area with 13 more under construction.

Most are in Chicago, but one will open in Bloomingdale in two weeks and in Kildeer in a month, he said.

An hhgregg appliances and electronics store (also called Gregg Appliances Inc.) recently opened in the Annex, and Smashburger shares the former Lone Star Steakhouse with Jersey Mike’s and Caribou Coffee.

The center is also home to a Trader Joe’s and a Barnes and Noble bookstore.