Liquor License Changes

Tonight’s Liquor Commission meeting was short and sweet. Two items were on the agenda, and the three Commissioners – Mayor Brian Sager, Shirley Schiller and Ray Durbin – quickly approved the requests for Henry Patel and Tom Burns.

Henry Patel, the owner of Armanetti’s and the Country Cupboard, will be purchasing Shop n Save/Miska’s Liquors, at Route 47 and McConnell Road. His license will be the same class as that of Shop n Save and, in fact, the same as Armanetti’s. This will mean that both (all) the Class B-1 licenses in Woodstock will be held by the same business entity, a point not discussed at the last City Council meeting or at tonight’s Liquor Commission meeting.

The City of Woodstock allows one B-1 license for each 12,000 of population, and Mr. Patel’s business will have both of them. Does this matter? Probably not. Mr. Patel's reputation was praised at the last City Council meeting. And there is already plenty of competition in the sale of beer, wine and spirits.

There was some discussion about the expiration date of the Shop n Save liquor license and the effective date of the new license, which will be issued to Woodstock Beverage Corporation, d/b/a Quick Beverage Mart at 997 McConnell Road. Its new license will be effective at 12:01AM on February 3.

When the Commission discussed that the existing license of Shop n Save would end at 12:00AM on February 2, I asked whether that would mean that the existing business would be without a liquor license during business hours on February 2. The Commission intends that Shop n Save will operate under its existing license on Monday, February 2 and that its license will terminate at midnight after that Monday or business. No action by the City Council to approve the B-1 license is necessary, since the City has authorized two B-1 liquor licenses in Woodstock.

So, just when does one day end and the next begin? Does a day end at 11:59PM and the next day start at 12:00AM? Or does a day end at 12:00AM and the next day begin at 12:01AM? State your druthers in the survey.

The second applicant tonight was Tom Burns, who will operate Herban Fare at 125 East Calhoun Street. Tom described his restaurant as a small boutique, fine dining restaurant. Tom has 15 years’ experience in the restaurant business. His pastries and breads will come from a local Woodstock bakery, and his meats will come from Jones Meats right here in Woodstock. Tom’s A-6 liquor license will be on the February 3 City Council agenda. The Liquor Commission will be recommending approval.