With the recent approval of a Class C liquor license for a soon-to-open Main Street grocery store, Galesburg will have 33 locations where customers can purchase alcohol for off-premises consumption.
The new package liquor license for Save More Grocery Store, 900 E. Main Street, did not come without debate. The Class C-1 license was approved 5-2, with Ward 3 Alderman Evan Miller and Ward 4 Alderman Dwight White casting no votes. Miller and White both contended Galesburg had enough liquor store outlets before casting their no votes on the ordinance.
So we, along with some listeners of WGIL and followers of WGIL.com, were curious:
Question: How many total liquor licenses exist within the city of Galesburg, and where are they located?
Answer: 94 different establishments hold some form of liquor license within the city limits, according to the information provided by the Galesburg City Clerk’s office,
Class C licenses allow for the sale of alcohol that can be purchased and then consumed off-premises. The rest of the licenses require the consumption of purchased alcohol to be done at the establishment.
Here is the breakdown:
Class A-1/A2
Who’s it for? Bars and some restaurants
Current number: 33 (27 Class A-1, and 6 Class A-2).
Limit: No more than 27 Class A-1 licenses shall be issued and no more than 5 Class A-2 licenses shall be issued.
Class B
Who’s it for? Authorizes the consumption of beer and wine only inside the licensed premises of a person or business entity operating as public accommodation restricted to ceramic or painting arts hobby facilities.
Current number: 1
Limit: There is limit of 2 Class B licenses which may be issued.
Class C-1/C-2/C3
Who’s it for? Sale of all types of alcoholic liquor for consumption off the premises only (packaged liquor)
Current number: 33
Limit: No more than 32 Class C-1 licenses shall be issued. No more than 1 Class C-2 license and 1 Class C-3 license shall be issued.
Class D
Who’s it for? Restaurants
Current number: 18
Limit: There is no limit on the number of Class D licenses which may be issued.
Class F
Who’s it for? Clubs or fraternal organizations.
Current number: 2
Limit: There is a limit of 5 Class F licenses which may be issued.
Glass G
Who’s it for? Special Event Liquor Licenses, such as Taste of Galesburg. This license authorizes a nonprofit organization, or a current liquor license holder if they want to hold something outside of their premises, to sell liquor for one day for consumption during an event sponsored by an organization. They get this license for a limited period of time for the purpose of allowing them to raise funds for charitable, educational or civic purposes.
Class H
Who’s it for? Civic center authority, theater, or any private or public state-chartered college or university.
Current number: 4
Limit: There is no limit on the number of Class H licenses which may be issued.
Class K
Who’s it for? Class K was initially a wine store, Vintages, they sold to new owners. They are required to have a minimum of 10% of the retail floor space of the premises shall be devoted to the sale of food and items other than alcohol; and (2) The premises shall have seating for a minimum of 15 persons.
Current number: 1
Limit: No more than 1 Class K license shall be issued.
Class L
Who’s it for? Authorizes the retail sale of all types of alcoholic liquor for consumption on the premises of a municipal golf course only.
Current number: 1
Interactive map: Galesburg Liquor Licenses and Restrictions
Liquor license fees generate revenue
According to City Clerk Kelli Bennewitz, Galesburg’s revenue from the collection of liquor license fees are budgeted for $230,000 in 2024 and $235,000 in 2025. That revenue flows entirely into the city’s General Fund.
Establishments submit taxes through their monthly Food & Beverage report (that extra 2% that they have to pay) along with a copy of their corresponding Illinois Department of Revenue form ST-1. Bennewitz said she’s unable to provide that data since Illinois Department of Revenue (IDOR) sales tax returns are confidential.
As for the city’s Food & Beverage report, it doesn’t break out liquor, but instead all prepared food and beverages.
Location, location, location …
Establishments that possess a Class C, C-1 and C-2 liquor license in Galesburg as of July 17, 2024. License allows for the sale of off-premise alcohol.
Alderman White, in particular, has often voiced concern on what he believes is an overabundance of liquor establishments on Galesburg’s “South side.”
At the July 15 City Council meeting, White said, “I think we have enough liquor stores. The neighborhoods these are in, they need grocery stores, not grocery stores that sell liquor. If it was a grocery store that (only) sold food, I’d be more than happy to vote yes for it.”
So, are there an inordinate number of liquor licenses assigned to Galesburg’s “South side?” It partially depends on how one defines “South side.”
A majority of Galesburg’s Class C liquor licenses are assigned to the high traffic areas of directly on Main Street (10) and directly on North Henderson Street (9). Outside of those two streets and downtown, there are six establishments that can sell package liquor south of Main Street.
Licenses by Ward
- Ward 1: 5
- Ward 2: 15
- Ward 3: 8
- Ward 4: 29 (Includes downtown)
- Ward 5: 12
- Ward 6: 9
- Ward 7: 14
WGIL asked Galesburg Mayor Peter Schwartzman if he shared the concerns of White and Miller that Galesburg has too many liquor licenses.
“I think we need to look more closely at how many such licenses we have in comparison to cities our size,” he said. “I don’t want to become the ‘liquor capital’ of the state.”
And is the mayor concerned where Class C (package liquor) establishments are located?
“Yes, if they are clustered in residential areas or economically disadvantaged areas, I think this is a problem, particularly if these areas are also food deserts,” Schwartzman said.
How does a business get a liquor license?
To begin the license application process, applicants must complete a corporate or individual liquor license application, which also includes permission to do a background check, and submit both to the City Clerk’s office. A $250 non-refundable application fee must accompany the paperwork to begin the process.
The owners and liquor managers of the business will receive the required checks from Galesburg Police Police Department, and then the results and application are forwarded to the city attorney.
The mayor is the final authority in the approval process for a liquor applicant. Once the mayor signs his approval to the application, it is returned to Bennewitz to attest and the license is issued.
More liquor, more crime?
Miller pointed to a recent rash of violence in town, noting several shootings in Galesburg, as one of his reasons to deny an additional liquor license in the city.
“I agree with Mr. White — I think we have enough liquor stores,” Miller said at the July 15 Council meeting. I think we need to step back, look at the mental health problem, and proceed with caution with it comes to more alcohol.
“Alcohol and drugs are a problem in my neighborhood. We’ve got a problem folks, and we need to address it, instead of adding to it.”
Asked if he believes the number of alcohol options can impact public safety, Schwartzman said, “It can. We have seen some dangerous behavior in some of our establishments that serve/sell alcohol.
“This gives the appearance to outsiders that our city is unsafe to visitors. I don’t believe it is, as all incidents appear to occur between people who know each other well, but perception is what matters.”
Do you have a question about something happening around Galesburg? Email Jay Redfern at jayr@wgil.com.
