Ripon College Days

Within weeks Big Stella's will offer customers an expanded selection of alcoholic beverages.

At the Nov. 8 Common Council meeting city aldermen voted the eatery over Dreamers' Sports Bar to receive the city's only available "Class B" liquor license. Though the four to three vote may symbolically represent the conclusion of months of contention over liquor licensing processes, claims of inequity and violation of licensing policy persist.

"If you look at both applicants they were dead even. It basically came down to what did we need more in Ripon, a full service restaurant versus another full service bar," says Al Schraeder, whose vote in favor of Big Stella's was joined by Bill Boesch, Deano Pape and Dave Minor.

The decision means Dreamers' will continue to only serve beer while Big Stella's will add liquor to its bar, which already houses both wine and beer.

"I feel Big Stella's could probably make it with just beer and wine because people go there to eat and they don't go there for a long length of time to socialize," says Barb Miller, who voted against giving the license to Big Stella's along with Jane Schueler and Gib Stoeberl.

Dreamers' Sports Bar owners Jason Haase and Jennifer Cummins say the decision is detrimental to their business.

"Most people go out to eat and then they find the next spot to relax," says Cummins. "Big Stella's can survive. We're the next spot, and we only have half of what we need to be the next spot."

Haase and Cummins opened Dreamers' in April 2005 under the assumption a liquor license would become available in the near future.

"We went into that meeting very confident - thought we had no problem," says Haase. "I had all my liquor orders already made. I had to turn people away Wednesday morning, send everything back."

Haase says Dreamers' business is tremendously limited by the lack of ability to sell liquor.

"I don't go to Dreamers' often because my friends and I enjoy the occasional gin and tonic, and they don't serve them," says Christy Olson, a Ripon College senior.

Haase and Cummins worry if a license doesn't become available soon, they will have to close.

"We can be Dreamers' Sports Bar anywhere we want to be and we picked here, and God do I hate that decision now," says Cummins.

Student reaction to the council's decision varies.

"I think Big Stella's should get it first because it's a restaurant," says junior Lesley McConnell. "On the other hand I think because Dreamers' is just a bar they should get a liquor license because that's their main focus."

Senior Phil Cool says Ripon needs a new restaurant more than another bar but indicates both businesses are deserving.

"If there were two liquor licenses I would love to see Dreamers' get one," he says.

However, the number of "Class B" liquor licenses the city may distribute is constrained by Wisconsin Statues Chapter 125, which limits liquor license numbers to one for every 500 residents or fraction thereof. Ripon's population of roughly 7,600 earns it 16 licenses.

With all 16 licenses currently held by various entities within the city, some officials, including Mayor Aaron Kramer say review of current license holders is needed, as he fears some licenses are not used to the fullest extent.

The criteria used in distributing "Class B" licenses includes standards that consider how granting a license to a particular entity will impact the city in terms of jobs, taxes and meeting perceived community needs. A Ripon ordinance mandates liquor licenses be used nine out of 12 months.

"There are some liquor licenses out there that are underutilized based on the law and that's something we need to take seriously," says Schraeder. "And then we have some tough decisions to make."

Among the businesses that have been speculated in failing to meet the criteria are Roadhouse, Best Western and Sodexho, operating out of Ripon College.

"Some people have suggested it's unfair for Sodexho to have a license when most businesses are open during the week and Sodexho uses theirs more sporadically," says Barg.

Food Service General Manager Sarjit Singh says the license is used at least monthly, and he feels Sodexho uses the license "to the letter."

He continues, "I have talked to the Chief of Police if in any way we could be doing better. He feels completely satisfied with what we're doing."

In light of concerns over liquor licenses, Kramer, Barg, Schraeder and Miller all indicate there's a desire to look closely at the city's licenses and the processes surrounding them.

"It's not going to happen over night, but I hope that between now and July when the next round of liquor license renewals come that we've made this a much cleaner process for everybody involved," says Kramer.

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