BERWYN – The owners of a wine bar and two video gaming cafes are in discussions with Berwyn officials to come into the city.
The wine bar would be in the Little Caesar’s plaza at the northwest corner of Ogden and Oak Park avenues in a space that has been occupied by Joe’s Liquors, which is moving out, said Anthony Perri, Berwyn's licensing supervisor.
The liquor store space at 6801 Ogden Ave. will be divided into the wine bar and a business that is yet to be determined, he added.
Two more video gaming cafes are on their way to the city as well, Perri said.
Already two cafes – Dotty’s Cafe, 6635 Roosevelt Road, and Betty’s Bistro, 6969 Ogden Ave. – exist in Berwyn strip malls, and Perri estimated another 50 to 60 Berwyn businesses – bars and restaurants – are licensed by the Illinois Gaming Board for video gaming.
Among area restaurants or taverns that have pending applications for video gaming machines, according to the Illinois Gaming Board, are Lavergne’s Tavern, 6546 Windsor Ave., Berwyn, and Cicero businesses Fiesta, 5643 Cermak Road; New Big Top, 6001 Roosevelt Road; Camaleon Restaurant, 6150 W. Cermak Road, and Elkhorn Inn, 2129 S. 59th Court.
The state’s Video Gaming Act was enacted in July 2009, authorizing the placement of as many as five video gaming terminals in licensed retail establishments, truck stops, and veteran and fraternal establishments, according to the Gaming Board's website.
Berwyn ordinances require liquor to be sold at businesses with video gaming, Perri added.