Several Palatine restaurants drop liquor licenses

Three Palatine restaurants will cease serving alcohol on or before July 1.

Original Taco, Pie Five Pizza and Tore & Luke's have not renewed their class G liquor licenses, all of which expire June 30.

Palatine Village Manager Reid Ottesen said it's common for newer restaurants not to renew their licenses around this time because it's when the liquor licensing term ends.

“Some maybe made a decision not to serve alcohol anymore,” Ottesen said. “Some people want longer or shorter hours.”

He said he talked with representatives from each of the restaurants, who told him the businesses were not renewing the license.

“Somebody in the corporate structure (from each restaurant) was involved in the decision-making,” Ottesen said.

Presently, 92 Palatine businesses have liquor licenses.

Arquimedes Lopez, manager at Tore and Lukes, said the owner plans to renew their liquor license at some point, but he doesn't know when.

Two other businesses — Cook Cork & Fork and Rockin' Rodizio — downgraded their liquor licenses from Class G to Class P.

A class G license costs $2,209 a year and allows beer and wine sales until midnight Sunday-Thursday and until 1 a.m. Friday and Saturday.

A class P license allows the holder to pay a one-time $109 fee for the first private event hosted where alcohol is served and $50 for any private event after.

Cook Cork & Fork is a combination kitchen supply store and recreational cooking school, while Rockin' Rodizio does Brazilian cooking for events. Neither is a traditional restaurant in need of a full liquor license.

“Both of them were new establishments,” Ottesen said. “In discussions with them and looking at how they were operating, we felt this could be as good a match for them and a significant cost saver.”

All license changes were unanimously approved by the council.