Liquor store owners outraged over new drive-up window ordinance

DECATUR, Ill. (WAND) - Liquor store owners are sharing frustrations after Decatur City Council voted to approve a new ordinance to force drive through and drive-up liquor store windows to close at 10 p.m. each night.

Council members said after a summer of shootings and fights at street parties and surging DUIs, they're making it a top priority to stop anything that contributes to violence in the city.

"I do think that we owe it to our city and our neighborhoods to try what we can to curb what we saw last summer," Councilwoman Lisa Gregory explained at the council meeting Monday night.

Council members said they want to stop the trend of party-goers picking up alcohol at drive-up windows and heading to late night gatherings.

"Drive-thru sales are connected to large street parties taking place in at least one residential neighborhood," Councilman David Horn explained.

"These street parties that we had last summer- I don't want to go through that again," Councilman Chuck Kuhle added.

Deputy Chief Brad Allen said in 2021, the Decatur Police Department wrote 256 citations for alcohol. More than 61% of those tickets were issued between 10 p.m. and 4 a.m.

"This is not going to be a cure-all, we're not wanting to do that at all. But when you have the sheriff's office and the Decatur Police Department having a dedicated officer for impaired driving alone, that's an issue," Councilman Ed Culp said.

But liquor store owners said these issues are not their fault and businesses should not be punished.

"That has no contributing factor if they got their liquor from Kroger or anywhere else," Kevin Dukeman, owner of 22nd Street Discount Liquor and Friendly's Bar and Package, told WAND News.

Dukeman said drive-up liquor sales are not causing these violent summer parties. He said his business will take a serious hit from this new rule.

"A good chunk of business is done at those hours. That includes a lot of other window sales that we do - we have food, cigarettes, tobacco," Dukeman added.

Another owner said liquor stores should not take the blame for crime in the city.

"We are not responsible for the actions of these people. How do you know when they're committing these crimes - is there something that says, 'well he was drunk, and they were all drunk in the car and that's why they did it,'" Diana Binkley, owner of Thirsty's Speakeasy and Grill.

This ordinance will not go into effect until July 1. Liquor stores can still keep their indoor liquor store business open after 10 p.m. but the drive up window would close early.