Palatine’s elected officials issued a warning Monday that downtown bar and grill Mac’s on Slade no longer can afford to violate local ordinances, but ultimately they granted a new liquor license to the establishment.
Mac’s, at 117 W. Slade St., had its business license suspended Jan. 30 after parent company Jam 5 Inc. admitted its failure to disclose a new co-owner, as is required by the village.
Mac’s complied with the order and the suspension was lifted, but shareholders Jeff Van Horn and Laurie Joseph had to appear before the village’s liquor commission Monday.
Sitting as the commission, Mayor Jim Schwantz and village councilmen voted 5-1 to issue the updated liquor license Mac’s needed to continue operations with Joseph as the new co-owner. Before the vote, Village Attorney Patrick Brankin said Mac’s has been in hot water five times regarding licensing and other issues with Van Horn as manager or owner since 2017.
Councilman Brad Helms said there no longer is any room for error.
“I do not like the whole, ‘I’m going to do it and then maybe ask for forgiveness,'” said Helms, who voted in favor of the liquor license. “And I don’t know if that’s what happened here or not. That rubs us all the wrong way. The issue that we all have here is that, at the end of the day, we don’t want to take this business license away from you, but don’t back us into a corner, either.”
Councilman Kollin Kozlowski voted against issuing the license for Mac’s. He said he believes in second chances, but that’s been exceeded by Mac’s.
Speaking directly to Van Horn, Schwantz told the Mac’s majority shareholder it’s “time for you to step up and be an owner.”
Van Horn said he’s trying to operate Mac’s properly and respects the village’s ordinances.
“I love this village,” Van Horn said. “I’ve lived here for over 20 years.”
Schwantz complimented Mac’s for not generating police calls stemming from trouble in the business. He also said the establishment never has been accused of egregious liquor license violations such as serving minors.
Village council members last May approved a special use transfer from the establishment’s previous owner, William “Mac” Reitz, to former managers Van Horn and Maegan Smith. Village documents show Smith is out of the picture, with Van Horn owning 57 percent and Joseph 43 percent.
Van Horn said Mac’s menu has been upgraded and that it books a greater variety of bands.
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