Arlington Heights board favors 8 a.m. Sunday liquor service start time

Arlington Heights restaurants and other businesses that already serve alcohol as early as 8 a.m. Monday through Saturday will soon be able to do so on Sundays, the village board agreed Monday.

The proposed liquor code changes - still to be formally approved by ordinance at an upcoming meeting - come at the request of eateries including Egg Harbor Cafe, Scratchboard Kitchen, Honey Jam Cafe and Hey Nonny that do a bustling Sunday brunch business but can't start pouring until 10 or 11 a.m., under current rules.

And though they didn't seek earlier hours, venues like the two bowling alleys in town, the American Legion hall, senior dining facilities and salons will also be able to serve their patrons as early as 8 a.m. Sundays, village trustees agreed.

The new rules would mostly affect sit-down establishments, since packaged liquor sales are already allowed as early as 8 a.m. in Arlington Heights.

"I think it's kind of an evolution that we're seeing," said Trustee John Scaletta. "What's the difference between Monday through Saturday, and Sunday?"

The new rule would put businesses and other facilities in the village on a level playing field, he said.

"I've never been to a restaurant in the morning where I've seen someone out of hand," Scaletta said. "I think that people go to brunch on a Sunday and generally might be meeting with friends or celebrating a birthday or a baptism or something, and all they want is to be able to share a mimosa with somebody or have a Bloody Mary."

Many trustees said loosening the restrictions is a way to support businesses in Arlington Heights and keep tax dollars in town.

A survey of 21 nearby municipalities found that 10 have Sunday start times before 8 a.m., two start at 8 a.m. and nine start later.

The board Monday night reached consensus to change the Sunday start times in 14 of the 16 liquor license categories in village code, though some trustees sought an across-the-board change to be consistent.

The two exceptions involve coffee shops and breweries that could start serving liquor in the late afternoon under the code. The coffee shop license was created in 2016 for a Starbucks that had wanted to serve liquor but closed and relocated before doing so. And one business that would use the brewery license, the Arlington Beer Co., hasn't opened yet, village officials said.