Council grants La Casa Maya an eight‑month alcohol license after compliance trainings

The Ames City Council approved an eight‑month Class C retail alcohol license for La Casa Maya on Aug. 26 after city staff reported the restaurant completed targeted compliance training following a prior denial of a 12‑month renewal.

The police department recalled that council denied a 12‑month renewal on July 22 after La Casa Maya failed two of three compliance checks during the renewal period. In response, the restaurant had all employees complete the Iowa Alcoholic Beverage Division (I-ABC/Iowa program) online alcohol-compliance training and received an on‑site ID‑checking training offered by a bilingual officer. The officer provided the ID training in both English and Spanish, addressing the owner’s earlier request for Spanish-language training.

Police staff recommended an eight‑month license to allow a shorter monitoring period so staff can reassess whether the training and changes are sustained before issuing a full 12‑month renewal. Council opened the topic for public comment, heard none, and approved the eight‑month license by roll-call vote.

Councilors and staff said they would return to council if serious violations of the alcoholic‑beverage code occur during the eight‑month period.