‘Last call’ may be canceled at Chicago airports

The Daley administration plan to allow around-the-clock alcohol sales from pushcarts and restaurants at O’Hare International and Midway airports awaits the City Council on Wednesday after aldermen approved it with little opposition in committee.

Several aldermen at a joint meeting of the Licensing and Aviation committees criticized the proposed $1,000 license fee as too low for the privilege of selling sell beer and wine from pushcarts at O’Hare and Midway.

“You have 24/7 capabilities and you’re only charging a thousand dollars a year?” said Ald. Thomas Tunney, 44th. “I just think we undervalue. And we’re notorious; in my opinion, liquor licenses in the city of Chicago are too cheap and too hard to get.”

There are currently 32 restaurants with liquor licenses at O’Hare and 11 at Midway. Andolino said the pushcart licenses would be rotated if more restaurants express interest than the allotted number of licenses.

The proposed ordinance also would allow existing restaurants with liquor licenses to stay open and sell alcohol around the clock at the airports.

Currently, restaurants at the airports are prohibited from selling liquor from 2 a.m. to 7 a.m. Mondays through Saturdays and from 3 a.m. to 10 a.m. Sundays.

read the full article at The Chicago Tribune