Two video gambling businesses in Normal could soon lose their liquor licenses for allegedly failing to provide legally required food service.
A Normal Police Department audit of the Marie’s Place locations at 1520 E. College Ave. and 115 Susan Drive found that they did not serve food or have adequate food available for sale. That would be a violation of their Class O liquor license, which requires a working kitchen whenever beer and wine are sold.
“The only food they had available were potato chips and candy bars,” Deputy Corporation Counsel Jason Querciagrossa told the Normal Liquor Commission during a meeting this week. “There was no food to be prepared. In addition, they did not have the limited kitchen as required by the Class O license.”
As a result of the violations, the Normal Liquor Commission signaled Monday that the town would not renew the liquor licenses for the Marie’s Place locations. A third Marie’s Place liquor license—for a location at 1702 W. College Ave. that has been planned since 2015 but never opened—is also at risk because the business allegedly failed to provide bond and dram shop insurance.
The licenses for all three locations are valid through March 31, Querciagrossa said.
Marie’s Place can request a due process hearing in front of a town hearing officer. If the hearing officer agrees that they should be able to keep their licenses, the matter would return to the Normal Liquor Commission.
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