St. Charles creates new liquor license classification for gas station/Taco Urbano restaurant

The St. Charles City Council on Jan. 3 approved the creation of a new liquor license classification to accommodate the new Pride gas station/Taco Urbano Café under construction at East Main Street and Kirk Road.

Plans are to open the gas station in the late spring. The new classification would allow for on-site sales/consumption inside the Taco Urbano Café and off-site package sales within the convenience store.

A Taco Urbano also is located inside the Pride of Batavia BP gas station on North Randall Road.

“This is similar to what we’ve done with Cooper’s Hawk, The Wine Exchange and a few other licenses in St. Charles,” St. Charles Police Chief James Keegan told alderpersons at the St. Charles City Council Government Operations Committee meeting Dec. 19.

Keegan said there are several restrictions with the license, including that the products sold for consumption off the premises cannot be opened nor consumed on the premises and that the total square footage of the premises dedicated for the retail sale of alcohol for consumption off the premises shall not exceed 10% of the total square footage of the premises.

“That’s very similar with what we do with our convenience stores and our gas stations,” Keegan said.

In addition, goods and merchandise other than liquor must be sold on the premises and alcohol consumption is only permitted within the designated areas of a café/seating area. The City Council on Jan. 3 also approved Pride’s liquor license application.

The Pride of St. Charles, located at 1505 Lincoln Highway, features the 93 Octane Brewery along with the Urban Counter restaurant.

Warrenville-based CIMA Developers submitted plans to develop an eight-pump Pride gas station on a 2.37-acre parcel known as the Regole family homestead located at the southeast corner of Kirk Road and East Main Street.

The plans include the construction of a 4,500-square-foot convenience store with a quick-serve restaurant inside (Taco Urbano) as well as an automatic car wash.