Joliet allows Sunday liquor sales at 6 a.m.

Joliet retailers can sell packaged liquor stating at 6 a.m. on Sundays now.

The City Council last week approved the earlier hour for liquor sales without comment.

But at a council committee meeting in August, Deputy City Attorney Chris Regis said the earlier hour makes Sunday hours for liquor sales consistent with other days of the week and makes Joliet consistent with neighboring towns.

Joliet previously set 10 a.m. as the starting hour for Sunday packaged liquor sales.

A staff memo to the council also noted that in 2019 the city moved up the hour for Sunday on-premise liquor consumption to 9 a.m.

“This was done, in part, to allow local businesses to remain competitive with businesses in surrounding communities,” the memo states. “When this change was made, we did not address package sales.”

The memo also states, “A review of the liquor codes of neighboring communities reveals that this proposed change is not uncharacteristic within the surrounding area.”

The council unanimously approved the earlier hour.