Gurnee allows restaurants to continue delivering alcohol

Gurnee leaders voted unanimously to allow village restaurants to continue selling mixed drinks and other alcohol to takeout and delivery customers, a practice that sprung from the global pandemic.

In March 2020, restaurants were told to close down in-person service and those that stayed open primarily relied on pickup and delivery to generate revenue. State lawmakers voted that spring to allow owners to sell mixed drinks to go and extended the measure in May to Jan. 1, 2024.

Ellen Dean, Gurnee's economic development director, said before the Monday vote that the policy had no drawbacks.

"The restaurants have relied on it as a revenue generator, the customers have come to appreciate it and it really has been no cost to us," Dean said.

The state law applies to Gurnee restaurants, but Dean said the new rule approved Monday night was still needed.

"We are obviously wanting our restaurants to take advantage of that long extension but the way that our classifications are defined compared to the way the state defines them, not all of them can," Dean said.

Dean said village attorney Bryan Winter and Police Chief Brian Smith were involved in crafting the new alcohol delivery and carryout rule. The village's measure also runs to 2024.

Village trustee Kevin Woodside, a former Gurnee police chief, said not agreeing to the ordinance would put Gurnee's restaurants at a disadvantage.