The Kane County Liquor Commission voted 3-1 late Wednesday to approve a long-sought liquor license for Blackjacks Gentlemen’s Club.

The strip club in St. Charles Township has been operating without a liquor license since 2012. The liquor commission denied a request last year, and then denied a request to reconsider.

The strip club’s registered name is Elgin Entertainment Holdings Inc. Ann Marie Buttitta of St. Charles is the owner and applicant for the liquor license.

“Clearly, my client is happy about it,” Buttitta’s attorney Brittany Pedersen said. “We think this came out the way that it should have.”

Blackjacks, at 7N657 Illinois Route 25, now has a Class E license with a Sunday Endorsement, which means it can sell starting at 9 a.m. Sundays.

The county’s liquor ordinance does not allow for full nudity, which the club now advertises, if it has a liquor license.

Commissioners Alex Arroyo, D-Aurora; Chris Kious, R-Algonquin; and Michael Linder, D-St. Charles, voted yes. Commissioner Clifford Surges, R-Gilberts, voted no.

Linder said he was not a fan of gentlemen’s clubs, but the county’s liquor code makes a provision for adult entertainment.

“This organization has complied 100% with those requirements,” Linder said. “I don’t think we can turn them down if they’ve done everything we’ve asked for.”

Linder said the county board can consider revisions with regard to liquor licenses for adult entertainment venues.

“We had an opportunity to do that when we wrote the liquor code. I don’t see how we can turn them down if they complied with everything,” Linder said.

Some Kane County residents objected to the strip club getting a liquor license, including Kathy Showalter of Geneva.

“We don’t want to stand for this,” Showalter said. “I don’t want strippers. I don’t think it’s necessary to have a liquor license involved. Enough is enough. We’ve had enough.”

Steve Serafin of Elgin, who is also running in the March 17 Republican primary for Kane County Board District 19, also objected.

Serafin claimed that two strip clubs in Stone Park – Club Allure and Heavenly Bodies – were both shut down because of drug and gang activity.

Records show Stone Park, in Cook County, revoked Club Allure’s liquor license in 2016 because it was within 100 feet of a place of worship, a violation of local ordinances. Heavenly Bodies, which was unincorporated, closed in 2024 and was sold to Elk Grove Village.

In 2024, the owners of Blackjacks gave $8,000 to Kane County Democrats, records show.