Downtown Palatine bar expects to reopen Friday after license suspension
Owners of a downtown Palatine bar and grill expect it to be open today after they submit an updated liquor license application with the village and file proper state documents in response to accusations it was violating local ordinances.
Jam 5 Inc., which operates Mac's on Slade, entered into an agreed order Wednesday that resulted in its business license's being suspended over the purported violations.
However, Mac's co-owner Jeff Van Horn said he plans to comply with everything in the order in time to reopen today. A decision to close Mac's on Wednesday and Thursday due to the deep freeze was made before the license suspension, he said.
Palatine Village Attorney Patrick Brankin said he'll need to review and verify the documents to ensure they are "fully complete" before the license suspension is lifted.
Village documents show Laurie Joseph, who declined to comment after a village hearing Wednesday, was not disclosed as a stockholder in Jam 5 Inc., in violation of local law. Brankin said the village became aware of ordinance violations by Mac's last week.
"That's where the problem comes in," Brankin said. "You can't have ghost partners. You can't have ghost shareholders. Everything has to be disclosed. When we found out that didn't occur, then we were compelled to bring this case."
Under the order, Joseph must be fingerprinted by Palatine police like all other liquor license holders, Brankin said. The order also requires the complete, updated liquor license application and the revised corporate filing with the Illinois secretary of state.
Any violation of the order or other local laws could lead to a revocation of all licenses for the establishment at 117 W. Slade St., according to the village.
Village council members last May approved a special use transfer from the establishment's previous owner, William "Mac" Reitz, to Van Horn and Maegan Smith. Van Horn and Smith managed Mac's before buying the business last year.
Van Horn said the new ownership has upgraded Mac's menu and books a greater variety of bands.