Buffalo Grove loosens liquor sales restrictions for gas stations

Buffalo Grove officials this week loosened restrictions on alcohol sales from gas station mini marts, allowing those businesses to seek a newly created liquor license that would lift the current requirement that they store alcohol in a locked cooler.

The ordinance permitting the new Class D-1 license for filling stations limits sales to beer and wine only, but allows an open cooler display area of up to 11 lineal feet and a floor display of up to 25 square feet. The license prohibits tasting events and drive-thru window sales.

The board created the new license after Bucky’s Express, 1248 McHenry Road, requested officials consider the change,

The measure did not pass without some village trustees first raising concerns. Trustee Steven Trilling questioned whether leaving alcohol accessible would lead to easy thefts in gas stations, which typically have only one attendant to monitor the cash register, the gas pumps and sales of other products.

“I feel that allowing beer and wine sales in a gas station environment differentiates itself from other similar uses,” he said.

Trustee Beverly Sussman wondered whether statistics showed that more accidents occurred after liquor was purchased at a gas station rather than a liquor store.

Police Chief Steven Casstevens said there is no data available to support that claim. He added that in his experience, and that of his peers, theft of liquor is more likely to occur in a larger establishment, where there is less likelihood of being observed or caught.

Gayle Wojciechowski, director of operations for the Bucky’s stores in Chicago, assured trustees that there would be more than one person on duty at all times.

Trustee Jeffrey Berman noted that Illinois is more restrictive than other states which allow drive-thru liquor stores, and he sees little difference between allowing sales in a gas station and other businesses.

“Whether it’s a gas station or a convenience store or the Walgreens or the Osco seems to have very little distinction in one way, other than the fact that the gas station is directly related to the use of an automobile,” he said.