The Oak Park Board of Health voted Tuesday to recommend the village board allow Beer Shop patrons to bring their dogs into the craft beer lounge.
The Oak Park Board of Health met in council chambers of village hall to continue its discussion from its April meeting and make a recommendation to the village board, which will have the final say on whether the ordinance prohibiting dogs in food establishments is amended.
Beer Shop owner Tony Compaglia was grateful the board heard the case.
“I think they were very deliberate and reasoned about how they came to their decision,” he said.
Since opening in April 2015, Beer Shop, 1026 North Blvd., has been a dog-friendly business. In January, a complaint was made against the business; manager Danielle Kovack said it was related to an instance of a dog urinating on a rug inside the shop. Since then, the village has required that Beer Shop allow only service dogs.
Compaglia requested that the village board amend its ordinance limiting dogs in such establishments, and the village board referred it to the board of health for review.
Beer Shop received strong support both in person and virtually. More than 27,000 people signed an online petition
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to allow the beer lounge to continue letting dogs be on the premises. At the April 24 Board of Health meeting, more than 30 people attended and spoke in favor of continuing to allow dogs in the shop.A smaller crowd — about 10 people — gathered May 22 to show support. Commissioner Jennifer Fritz was absent from Tuesday’s meeting.
While Beer Shop does not make or serve food, beer and ice are considered food, board of health members contended in April. State food code says dogs aren’t allowed in a food establishment, but Oak Park has home rule and could amend its local ordinance to allow for dogs, public health director Mike Charley said.
Board chairwoman Florence Miller said Tuesday that they looked at the laws or ordinances regarding food and dogs for 20 states and 37 cities; the majority are based on Food and Drug Administration guidelines. Most dealt with allowing dogs on outdoor patios.
Commissioners Ryan Patrick and Susan Buchanan said the public health risk seemed low, as people don’t often get sick from dogs.
“I feel like this is really a matter of keeping the space clean,” said commissioner Natalie Serratos. As long as certain procedures are followed and dogs on the premises are healthy, “I feel like that should be considered.”
While commissioner Noel Chavez said she feels comfortable with dogs on an outdoor patio, “I feel far less comfortable with the inside,” particularly given the food aspect.
After a first vote to recommend no change to the ordinance saw insufficient support from commissioners, the board voted again, to recommend the ordinance be changed, with five commissioners in favor and Miller abstaining.
As commissioners talked about how to avoid a host of other businesses in Oak Park seeking to allow dogs, they determined they should recommend the ordinance change apply to a food establishment with the exact liquor license Beer Shop holds, a Class D16 liquor license for a “craft brew lounge.” Officials said the Beer Shop is the ony establishment in Oak Park with that license.
Commissioner Adrienne Rogers also said she supported the recommendation to change, adding that it’s a great thing for the community and it brings people together. Patrick noted there are other options to buy beer in the immediate area for those who oppose the presence of dogs in Beer Shop.
“I think that most people are responsible pet owners when they bring them out in public,” Patrick said.
Commissioners mentioned certain requirements that would make them more comfortable with the change, like procedures on how the space is cleaned, by whom, requiring dogs be leashed, employees not touching dogs, proper handwashing, visible signage about the presence of dogs and asking owners whose dogs are not behaving to leave.
“We’re kind of setting some precedent here in terms of dogs in a food establishment,” Miller cautioned, citing the need to be clear and careful about how they proceed.
The issue is specific to this type of business, Charley pointed out.
“I think it’s important the board know that,” he said.
Compaglia said the village board has been extremely supportive of his business since the beginning, and he doesn’t expect this instance to be much different. He believes the issue struck a nerve with pet lovers.
“Oak Park loves its dogs,” he said.