Oak Brook is considering a new liquor license classification that would allow department stores at Oakbrook Center to sell alcoholic beverages that could be consumed by customers while they walk through the business in which the drink was purchased.
Village Manager Greg Summers said there have been multiple requests from the department stores at the mall to allow this.
“Department stores, shopping centers, and malls are looking for new and innovative ways to create an experience that shoppers cannot replicate online,” he said.
Summers said the large department stores at Oakbrook Center have indicated they are struggling to maintain their market share of consumers.
“Nordstrom, Neiman Marcus and Macy’s are looking for ways to enhance the guest experience and have expressed interest in allowing their adult customers to purchase alcoholic beverages while perusing the store merchandise,” he said.
Crate & Barrel and Restoration Hardware at Oakbrook Center have existing liquor licenses, specifically written for those businesses, based on their size and design, that allow customers to purchase alcoholic beverages and consume them while walking around the stores. Requirements for those licenses include following stricter signage rules, taking responsibility for ensuring consumers do not leave the store with drinks by affixing a sensor to the drinkware and requiring branded non-transferrable wristbands.
“These two locations have not experienced any reported issues related to the sales of alcoholic beverages on their premises,” Summers said.
He said area malls, such as Fashion Outlet Mall in Rosemont and Chicago Premium Outlet Mall and Fox Valley Mall, both in Aurora, allow alcohol sales at their facilities through a Tapville kiosk. The Village of Schaumburg is currently reviewing a similar request for Woodfield Mall and is evaluating whether to allow sales within department stores only or the mall as a whole, Summers said.
“At this time, they have reported they are leaning towards sales and consumption within defined store limits only,” he said, adding that the Village of Orland Park has reported that it also has been contacted about open carry of alcoholic beverages throughout Orland Square Mall, but that the village is leaning towards allowing it only within defined stores.
The recommendation from village staff and the consensus of Village Board members in Oak Brook is to limit consumption of alcoholic beverages to within the store of purchase and only those stores that serve food.
Board member Asif Yusuf said he is all for allowing the consumption of alcoholic beverages only within the store of purchase.
“It’s a matter of giving our retail stores tools they need, without compromising safety,” he said.
Board member Larry Herman said he is not fundamentally opposed to allowing the consumption of drinks inside of stores, but has concerns about potential underage drinking. Fellow board member Michael Manzo expressed another concern.
“I’m concerned we won’t be able to see if someone has had too much to drink,” he said.
Police Chief Brian Strockis said he doesn’t have too much of a concern about underage drinking.
“It’s important to keep up with trends at the mall,” he said.
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Summers said that while the increase in sales tax from the beverage sales and increased merchandise sales is a tangential benefit to the village, there are logistical challenges that will need to be addressed if larger stores are permitted to allow the consumption of alcoholic beverages throughout their establishments.
These logistics include enforcement of age restrictions, monitoring of consumption across broad store areas, and enforcement of the liquor boundary control, he said.
Chuck Fieldman is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.