New Cicero, Illinois ordinance bans alcohol sales after midnight
CICERO, Ill. (CBS) -- Liquor laws are changing in west suburban Cicero, where all alcohol sales will be forbidden after midnight.
The new measure applies across the board – not only to liquor stores and retailers, as has been in the case in the city of Chicago for the past few years – but also to restaurants and bars.
The Town of Cicero said liquor licenses allow for the sale of alcohol until 1 or 2 a.m. at bars and restaurants, but the new ordinance will require them all to stop sales at midnight.
The ordinance takes effect immediately for businesses applying for new liquor licenses. For renewals, it goes into effect on Jan. 1, 2025.
There are about 110 liquor licenses in Cicero – including 45 restaurants and 30 bars, the town said.
During a recent meeting, several bar and restaurant owners addressed the Cicero Town Board – including one that had been singled out by Cicero Town President Larry Dominick as causing problems, the town said.
But Dominick said drinking establishments in Cicero are not doing enough to prevent violence, fights, and loud noises that cause disruption for neighbors. He said there have been instances where guns have been fired outside bars, and he said the problems almost always occur after midnight.
Dominick said there would be a meeting to hear solutions to the problems.