Customers in the south suburbs can now enjoy a breakfast cocktail, mimosa or Bloody Mary in Oak Lawn without traveling to a neighboring city.
Bill Brennan, who purchased Arena Lanes bowling alley off 103rd Street and Cicero Avenue, began pushing for a change in village ordinance to allow earlier sales in September, in large part because members of a Sunday bowling league began patronizing Arena Lanes following the fire that closed Oak Forest Bowl in May.
These new customers, mostly from towns adjacent to Oak Lawn, miss one of the ingredients to their morning games. This team, made up of 200 bowlers, according to Brennan, said they might move to a Lockport alley where alcohol can be served at 7 a.m.
“A lot of bowlers in that league, some of them are first responders. So a lot of them are getting off work at that time,” said Brennan. “Sunday morning is almost like their Saturday night so that’s their one time to be able to go out and recreate.”
The Oak Lawn Village Board voted unanimously last week to allow businesses to sell alcohol at 9 a.m. instead of 11 a.m.
Clancy’s Pizza Pub. which is in the same mall as Arena Lanes, also testified in support of the ordinance change although the owner could not be reached for comment.
Brennan originally sought to have the time moved up to 7 a.m. for alcohol sales, but said Mayor Terry Vorderer told him that was unlikely to get approved by Village Board.
“He asked for a compromise and compromised on 9 a.m., which I think is kind of fair for everyone involved,” said Brennan.
On Friday, Vorderer said the hesitation to go to 7 a.m. was in large part because of an interest to stick to the tradition of a dry Sunday morning.
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Arena Lanes doesn’t open until 9 a.m. anyway. But some sports bars that show European soccer league games, which often start in the early mornings in Central Standard Time, may be more affected by the compromise, Brennan said.
He said the village was very helpful in the process.
This change comes just a few months after another notable alcohol ordinance changes. South Holland, a heavily religious community which has been dry for more than a century, gave out its first liquor license to a breakfast restaurant in August.
In Oak Lawn, Jewel-Osco and Walgreens were able to sell packaged alcohol at 9 a.m. before the ordinance change. But Sunday marked the kickoff for when restaurants, bars and other business with an existing liquor license could start pouring mimosas and Bloody Marys with breakfast or a strike. This brings Oak Lawn’s serving hours even with towns such as Hickory Hills and Palos Hills.
Brennan has the ordinance change printed out next to his existing liquor license.
“Being able to serve alcohol a couple hours earlier in the morning, that will really help our bottom line,” he said.
hsanders@chicagotribune.com
