Another look at 50-50

Talk about it

Owners of a local bar and grill restaurant are asking the city to relax its liquor ordinance that requires establishments to maintain a 50-50 ratio of food to alcohol sales.

On Feb. 12, O’Malley’s owners Todd and Beth Hanson submitted a written request to the city to look at options to relax the ordinance, which they believe may be too strict for the current business climate.

The Woodbury City Council will discuss the current ordinance and possible options to change it during its monthly workshop meeting Wednesday, Feb. 20.

O’Malley’s has been operating in Woodbury since St. Patrick’s Day 2005 and has become a destination for area residents.

Since it first opened, Todd Hanson has admitted it’s been tough for his business to maintain an annual 50-50 ratio of food to alcohol sales.

Hanson and wife Beth have worked closely with the city to achieve the 50-50 goal and able to do so by mere percentage points in 2006. Only one business failed to come into compliance with the 50-50 ordinance in 2006. Throwbacks attributed 34 percent of its sales to food and 66 percent of its sales to alcohol in 2006, according to city officials.

During the Wednesday council workshop, the city council will discuss the issue and a number of possible scenarios to relax the ordinance for businesses that are struggling to meet the current 50-50 ordinance. One of those may be for the city to eliminate 2 a.m. closing times, which it has the ability to do, per state statute.

The city council will also discuss with staff the possibility of lowering the 50-percent food sales requirement for establishments with on-sale alcohol licenses. The council will also discuss possible regulation of “2 for 1” promotion that some bars use.

The council workshop will be held in the city council chambers at Woodbury City Hall at 6:30 p.m. The meeting is open to the public.

Tags: hanson, woodbury, liquor, ordinance