Wheeling trustee objects to late night parties at local restaurant

Drive by the China Buffet in Wheeling and you'd never guess a large disco ball and red hot Karaoke machine sat inside.

It's located next to a Payless Shoe store in the strip mall in the 500 block of West Dundee Road, anchored by the Carnicerias Jimenez grocery store and Market Square Restaurant.

While the large restaurant was virtually empty on Wednesday, it isn't always, said Wheeling Trustee Dean Argiris. According to Argiris, the restaurant hosts some serious weekend parties - one of which he crashed last month.

"I walked in there and it was a nightclub," he said. "There was a huge dance floor and a disco ball and guys and girls were dressed to the nines. This was at 11 p.m. or midnight. I couldn't believe it."

Having fun isn't against Wheeling village code, but Argiris said the restaurant's owners said nothing to the village board about hosting parities when they applied for and received a liquor license back in February.

"When they came before us they said they were a family place and wanted to serve a glass of beer or wine if that's what a customer wanted," Argiris said. "Now, all of the sudden, there is dancing going on there until 2 a.m. In my opinion they lied and totally misled this board."

Trustee Ken Brady said he heard similar complaints about China Buffet.

At a board meeting on Monday, Argiris said he wanted to suspend or repeal China Buffet's liquor license, but Village Attorney James Ferolo said it's not that easy.

"We need to conduct a hearing and look into these issues first," Ferolo said.

China Buffet's owner, Amy Lin, didn't want to comment on Argiris' allegations, but did say she hosts parties that include Karaoke and sometimes last until 2 a.m. She declined to say how many people usually attend these parties.

"We filed everything with the village," Lin said. "We haven't done anything wrong. Talk to them."

China Buffet was issued a Class A liquor license on Feb 17, 2009, according to Wheeling's legal department. According to the liquor license, China Buffet can serve beer, wine and hard liquor until 2 a.m. any day of the week.