Community meeting to review a proposal for a new packaged goods liquor license at 6701 N. Clark

A community meeting to review a proposal for a new packaged goods liquor license at 6701 N. Clark (at North Shore) will be held on Wednesday, February 29th at 7p.m.  This meetinw will be held at the Living Water Church, located at 6808 N. Ashland (at Pratt).

The business currently operates as Supermercado El Mexicano, which is a combination grocery and liquor store. The current owner wishes to sell his business to a new owner. The sale is contingent upon the new owner obtaining a liquor license. The potential new owner, Amit Amin, currently owns Evanston First Liquors on 1019 Davis Street in Evanston. If he obtains the liquor license and purchases the business, Mr. Amin intends to change the name of the store to "North Shore Food and Liquors." To obtain a liquor license, Mr. Amin must satisfy the City's criteria for a liquor license and his application is subject to the approval of the City of Chicago's Local Liquor Control Commissioner. The opinion of the local alderman and the community may influence the Commissioner's decision, but the Commissioner retains final authority over whether the license will be issued. In return for my support for his liquor license application, Mr. Amin has agreed to make upgrades to both the exterior and interior of the store. He has already prevailed upon the current owner to remove the exterior burglar bars from the storefront, take down many of the paper advertising signs from the store window and eliminate some of the very cheap wines and liquor from his store inventory. If he obtains the license, Mr. Amin has agreed to remove the loud, garish lighted signs that currently exist on the exterior of the storefront and replace them with an attractive awning, similar to the awning that graces Rogers Park Fine Wine and Spirits just down the street at 6741 N. Clark (at Columbia): He also has pledged to work with the Rogers Park Business Alliance to re-organize and make more attractive the interior lay-out of the store, eliminate the remainder of the very cheap wines and liquor from the store's inventory and provide higher-end wines and craft beers. If Mr. Amin is unsuccessful in obtaining a liquor license, he won't purchase the business and the current owner will continue to hold his liquor license and operate the business as Supermercado El Mexicano.

Alderman Moore will make a final decision on whether to support Mr. Amin's application after receiving the community's input at the meeting. You are urged to attend the meeting to offer your opinions of the proposal. If you are unable to attend, send your thoughts and suggestions to Alderman Moore at (773) 338-5796 or ward49@cityofchicago.org.