Chicago liquor law question

Got a question coming through a friend who is interested in starting a bar in Chicago- do Chicago liquor laws allow for a proprietor to sell from his personal cellar? It's a long story, but curious if anyone knows.

I don't know about the laws in the city of Chicago, but a chef/restaurant owner friend out here in the (Lake County) burbs has commented that he is not allowed to sell wines he makes himself. He is allowed to serve a complimentary glass of his own wine to a friend or good customer in his restaurant; he just can't charge for it. If your friend is unable to track down the info he needs about the pertinent liquor laws in the city, post back and I will see if my chef friend has any suggestions on how he could go about finding out.

The liquor laws certainly have the reputation of heavily favoring liquor distributors, and I would be surprised if you were allowed to sell alcohol commercially that did not pass through one.

jpschust wrote:Got a question coming through a friend who is interested in starting a bar in Chicago- do Chicago liquor laws allow for a proprietor to sell from his personal cellar? It's a long story, but curious if anyone knows.

I suggest your friend contact the city of Chicago for a definitive answer.

it's been my experience working in many cities throughout the u s that it is not acceptable to sell from your private cellar. you need a resale tax stamp on the bottle that comes only from an approved distributor. again though, check the local ordinances.

here in chi, you pay c.o.d. on beer, unless you've set up an escrow acct w/the distributor after you pass credit checks. spirits are 30 days. failure to pay promptly puts you on a statewide "no sale" list, where no one can sell to you until you rectify it.

i actually know of someone that acquired a huge cellar (10,000 bottles) prematurely, prior to receiving his liquor license. he thought he'd be able to use it on the upcoming project. none can be sold legally. it's fun going to his house though.