St. Charles considering new liquor license classification for a gas station

The St. Charles City Council is considering a new liquor license classification to accommodate the new Pride gas station with a Taco Urbano Café under construction at East Main Street and Kirk Road.

Plans are to open the station in the late spring. The new classification would allow on-site sales/consumption inside the Taco Urbano Café and off-site package sales within the convenience store.

Taco Urbano also is located inside The Pride of Batavia BP gas station on North Randall Road.

"This is similar to what we've done with Cooper's Hawk, The Wine Exchange and a few other licenses in St. Charles," St. Charles Police Chief James Keegan told alderpersons Monday during the city council's government operations committee meeting.

He noted there are several restrictions with the license. For example, products sold for consumption off the premises cannot be opened or consumed on the premises. In addition, the area dedicated to the retail sale of alcohol for consumption off the premises shall not exceed 10% of the total square footage of the premises.

Alcohol consumption only is permitted within the designated areas of a café/seating area.

The Pride of St. Charles, located at 1505 Lincoln Highway, features 93 Octane Brewery along with an Urban Counter restaurant.

Alderpersons unanimously recommended approval of the new liquor license classification and Pride's liquor license application. The full city council will now consider the recommendations.

Warrenville-based CIMA Developers submitted plans to develop an eight-pump Pride gas station on a 2.37-acre parcel known as the Regole family homestead located at the southeast corner of Kirk Road and East Main Street.

The plans also include the construction of a 4,500-square-foot convenience store with a quick-serve restaurant inside (Taco Urbano) and an automatic car wash.