Buy beer from your car in St. Charles?
St. Charles might become the first community in Kane County to allow liquor sales by drive-through window.
The idea for drive-through liquor first came to the city council in October 2013. Dave and Julie Lundeen sought permission to add a drive-through at one of their two St. Charles liquor stores at 1315 W. Main St.
The city prohibits the sale of packaged liquor through drive-through windows or curbside service. But the Lundeens came with a petition signed by 600 customers in support of the plan.
The couple own and operate a liquor store with a drive-through window in Sycamore. They said drive-through sales account for between 17 and 35 percent of all business at that location on a given day.
Aldermen, at the time, were wary of setting a new precedent for liquor sales during a time when unruly behavior of some downtown bar patrons was already in the spotlight. Still, they directed staff members to explore the ramifications of drive-through sales.
That report arrived this week.
It came in the form of a draft ordinance that would allow drive-through packaged liquor sales for the first time in the city.
All sales would require face-to-face ordering and purchasing through a window, but no walk-up service would be allowed. A camera would be required to film the process, the driver and the vehicle registration the entire time. Any violations would be reviewed by the city's liquor commission for any recommendations on punishments, such as fines or license suspensions and revocations.
The plan would be to regulate and limit the number of drive-throughs that can sell liquor via the number of liquor licenses issued and the special-use permits required for a business to have a drive-through.
Existing drive-throughs could not begin selling liquor without coming to the city for a new or amended permit.
“A drive-through is simply a business model many businesses are embracing these days,” Julie Lundeen said at a public meeting this week. “Whether they come through our doors or through our drive-through, we are responsible.”
Lundeen said there have been no problems requiring police or government involvement at their drive-through location in Sycamore. That was verified by St. Charles Police Chief James Keegan.
Mayor Ray Rogina promoted a discussion of the drive-throughs in 2013, and he supported the concept of drive-through liquor sales this week.
“The bottom line to me here is we have a good businessman who wants to grow his business,” Rogina said. “I certainly support that.”
Whether aldermen support the concept of growing a liquor store through drive-through sales remains to be seen. Aldermen Rita Payleitner and Jo Krieger voted against moving the ordinance forward. They will likely be joined by Alderman Maureen Lewis in voting “no” when aldermen take a final vote. Lewis voted against the concept as a member of the city's liquor commission in 2013.