Council approves two tavern/package liquor licenses after committee debate; committee had split recommendations

The Waukegan City Council on April 7 approved two liquor‑license changes that drew extended review at the Community Development Committee earlier that evening.

At the committee meeting applicants answered detailed questions about their operations, manager designations and compliance history. Maria Garcia and Edwin Lagunas appeared in committee for Toluca’s Restaurant and its adjacent La Cantina space, where city staff said business‑license citations had been issued earlier for activity in an adjoining area. Committee members pressed applicants on whether the nightclub endorsement and hours were shown consistently on the application, and asked whether activity in the adjacent space had produced a city citation. Robert Rataca, attorney for Toluca’s interests, told the committee that citations were handled through business‑license procedures and that the owners were working to make licensed areas and hours explicit to avoid future confusion.

Sunny Patel, applying for a Class C retail package license for Lake Liquors at 2200‑2303 North Lewis Avenue, told the committee she…