Proposed gaming cafe up for vote by Bourbonnais trustees

BOURBONNAIS – A proposed gaming cafe in Bourbonnais moved a step closer to approval.

The village’s Economic and Community Development Committee voted 4-0 on Wednesday to send the proposed ordinance to the full board asking for a special use permit for the gaming cafe.

Trustees Randy King, Jack Littrell, Angie Serafini and Craig Toepfer voted for advancing the matter.

Trustees Bruce Greenlee and Rick Fischer were not at Wednesday’s meeting.

The committee concurred with the village’s planning board’s approval.

It is the first request to operate a gaming cafe in the village, officials said.

The matter is expected to be on the agenda for the regular board meeting at 5:30 p.m. Monday in the board room at the Municipal Center, 700 Main St. NW.

Amanda Irps is proposing Mandi’s Gaming Cafe at 390 N. Convent St. It is accessible via Wilburn Court, which dead ends after about 100 yards.

The closest structures are Speedway gas station to the north, an insurance business to the south and three residences to the east.

Irps’ husband, Scott, owns the building through Bowtie Properties.

Amanda Irps said Wednesday she and her husband own several other businesses which offer gaming.

It would have six video gaming machines and hold between 15 to 20 people, according to the application.

There would be approximately 18 employees hired with one or two working shifts. Those entering the building will be made to show identification to make sure they are 21 years of age, which is the legal age to drink alcohol as well as use gaming machines in the state of Illinois.

The proposed operating hours would be 7 a.m. to 10 p.m., seven days a week.

Irps also applied for a liquor license to serve alcohol only on the premises. No sit-down bar is being added, Irps said in testimony before the planning board.

That license is a state requirement in order to own a gaming business.

Per Illinois Gaming Board regulations, the site is located far enough away from two elementary schools (Alan B. Shepherd and Shabonna).

The business is located more than the required 100 feet from the schools.

Assistant Administrator Laurie Cyr said there was one objector at the planning board meeting.

“They were objecting not to the business model, but the location, because the location is across the street from the elementary schools,” Cyr said.

“Amanda provided testimony saying from the outside of the structure, you would not be able to tell it is a gaming cafe based on plans provided for the exterior and signage,” Cyr said.

Mayor Jeff Keast asked about the plans.

“What types of things are you doing on the outside?” he asked.

Irps said the exterior will be white and black and the signage would be minimal

“A lot of the other gaming parlors if you go by, you can’t really even see that they are a gaming parlor,” Irps said.

The building has been vacant since January 2023, Cyr said.

At one time it was the location of the former Bourbonnais Herald weekly newspaper, she said.