“I’d like to not vote on a wholesale yes or no nor individual licenses at this meeting”- Commissioner Mitch Stauffer
The Liquor Commission delayed voting on The Matrix Club’s request for three liquor licenses at last week’s meeting. The 4,500square foot restaurant, banquet hall, and entertainment venue is expected to open in a few months at 808 S. Route 59 right next to Mall of India.
The Matrix Club is seeking a license to serve alcohol on the restaurant side during normal business hours and late night during weekends. A second license is to serve liquor along with sprits inside the entertainment and banquet halls of the property before and during events. The final request is to serve spirits and offer bottle service for groups of more than four people in VIP areas during special events like concerts
Bottle Service
During the meeting, commissioners were most concerned about the request for bottle service. Commissioner Scott Wehrli explained how it works. “It puts the control of a bottle of hard liquor in the customers hands and they then get to pour what they want to who they want”. Wehrli worried about the ramifications of giving the okay to that type of service. “If we do, there will be a line at the door of people who will have restaurant licenses in town who want the same thing”
Security Plan
The petitioner said the service would only be used during certain occasions. “We are not offering the bottle service in the restaurant; we are only offering the bottle service at selected events which demand that”.
Liquor commissioners also asked about the security plan for events take at The Matrix Club. The petitioner did not have one to present but said they will have a security team starting in May. They also said they plan to work with the Naperville Police Department if a big event is booked
Due to the lack of a security plan, as well as the other concerns noted, commissioners decided to postpone the vote to the next meeting.
Naperville News 17’s Tim Jacobi reports
