Naperville moves Sunday liquor sales to 8 a.m.

Naperville councilmen entered Tuesday's meeting considering a liquor ordinance that would allow you to stock up on your way to your Sunday afternoon kickoff party and left with an ordinance allowing you to make your purchases on your way to church.

Council members approved a measure that allows stores to sell package liquor beginning at 8 a.m. Sundays - the start time previously was noon - to help keep sales tax dollars in local stores.

Mayor George Pradel, who also is the city's liquor commissioner, originally asked for a 10 a.m. sale time to compete with other towns, but Councilman James Boyajian pointed out Bolingbrook allows package sales at 8 a.m.

"If we're making this change, why wouldn't we go to 8 a. m.? What's so magical about 10 a. m.?" Boyajian asked. "If we're breaking the societal stigma that perhaps there might have been about morning package goods sales, I just don't know why we wouldn't go all the way to give ourselves the competitive edge and make it 8 instead of 10."

Pradel said local Jewel stores showed shoppers have gone to other towns to buy beer on Sundays.

"We're trying to let folks do all their shopping at once," said Pradel, noting that "people's work hours have changed and shopping habits have changed and we need to adapt."

Councilman Dick Furstenau, the lone opponent of the change, said there was no need for it.

"We've had it at noon for 100 years and that's where it ought to stay," he said.