By Shereen Siewert
WAUSAU — Four businesses will compete Tuesday for the sole available regular liquor license in the city.
A subcommittee of Wausau’s public health and safety committee will meet at 4:30 p.m. Tuesday in the Maple Room at Wausau City Hall to review proposals from the four businesses interested in the license. The state regulates the number of liquor licenses a municipality is allowed based on population; Wausau has 68.
Mountain Lanes, Jenny’s Family Restaurant, Downtown Grocery and a yet-to-be-named business owned by Tyler Vogt are all being considered, according to city documents. Vogt, who co-owns Malarkey’s, intends to open a new business at 628 N. Third Avenue, the former home of The Diner.
The regular license, which costs $600, became available when the VFW surrendered their license, said committee chair Lisa Rasmussen. The city also has 11 available reserve liquor licenses, but those cost $10,000 each.
All four businesses applied for licenses before. In September, city leaders chose La Taqueria, a new Mexican street food restaurant planned for the former Blockbuster building on S. 17th Avenue, to receive a regular license. The business is slated to open in the coming weeks.
That license had become available when the former business operators at Mountain Lanes lost theirs, amid allegations of illegally passing off inexpensive alcohol as top shelf liquor.
The former operators of Mountain Lanes who lost their license are no longer involved in the business.
In addition to Rasmussen, the subcommittee consists of council member Pat Peckham, Wausau Police Chief Jeff Hardel, Wausau Fire Chief Tracey Kujawa, Deputy Clerk Mary Goede, City Clerk Toni Rayala, and Assistant City Attorney Tara Alfonso.
