Now licensed companies can serve alcohol at catered events in Arlington Heights

Caterers and restaurants in Arlington Heights that serve food off premises will be able to serve alcohol there, too, under new liquor license classifications created by the village board Monday night.

The new Class "P" license will allow catering companies to sell and serve booze at private events, while the Class "P-1" license will allow restaurants that already have a liquor license to do the same.

The village board voted 8-0 to add the classifications to village code after two business owners said they could benefit from expanding their offerings to customers.

That includes Tom Manetti, owner of Metropolis Ballroom in downtown Arlington Heights, who is relocating his catering business, Elegante Cuisine, from Elk Grove Village to Clearbrook Drive on the south side of Arlington Heights. Elk Grove has such a liquor license for caterers, but until Monday night, Arlington Heights did not.

"We definitely need this to operate. It's one of our main means of income that comes through," Manetti told the board.

Though she wasn't at the meeting, Scratchboard Kitchen owner Danielle Kuhn has previously told village officials that people are asking her to cater events in their homes - and to offer both food and drink.

For Scratchboard, which already has a liquor license for its downtown location on Campbell Street, the new village license for off-site alcohol sales will cost $650 a year.

For Manetti's catering company, it'll be $2,200.

Under the ordinance approved Monday, a full menu of food must be available the entire time that alcoholic beverages are available.

But village officials won't be able to check for compliance as they would when police do undercover stings for underage sales at bars and restaurants, for instance.

In response to a question from Trustee Tom Schwingbeck, Assistant Village Manager Diana Mikula said enforcement at a catered event only would be complaint-based, and police could be asked to check on it.