Laramie council adopts resort-hotel liquor license code change, approves new Horse Palace bar-and-grill license

The Laramie City Council voted Tuesday to add a new category of liquor license to city code and approved a separate bar-and-grill license for a downtown restaurant.

At its June 7 meeting, the council approved Original Ordinance No. 21‑06 to amend chapter 5.09 of the Laramie Municipal Code to add resort-hotel liquor licenses and set the annual fee for that license at $2,000 per year. The council also granted a new bar-and-grill liquor license (BG19) to Wyoming Horse Racing LLC, doing business as Horse Palace, for the location at 416 South Third Street for the licensing term June 18, 2025, through May 7, 2026.

The ordinance change follows state action this year; council staff said Senate File 42 added the resort-hotel license category to state statute. City Clerk Julie told the council the state law’s resort-hotel definition differs from the existing resort liquor license in room-count and valuation thresholds, noting the hotel valuation threshold is $5 million versus $10 million for the resort liquor license. Julie said the council previously set the fee for the new license at $2,000 during first reading. Julie also told the council, “there is no, population based formula for the resort hotel and resort liquor licenses.”

On the Horse Palace application, Julie said the business submitted a menu and stated it can meet the required sales mix for a bar-and-grill license — “they feel that they can meet that 60/40 entertainment and food, sales versus alcohol sales,” Julie said. No members of the public spoke for or against the license at the meeting. The council approved the Horse Palace license by roll call, 8‑0 with one member absent.

City staff said a public hearing notice was also posted for a related item: a hearing on Original Ordinance No. 21‑06 amending chapter 5.09 will be held June 17, 2025, at 6:30 p.m. in Council Chambers and via Zoom to accept comments on resort-hotel liquor licenses and any protests.

What this means: the city’s code now includes the new license class allowed under state law. Businesses that meet the state definitions for a resort-hotel license — including the lower valuation and room-count thresholds described by staff — may pursue a municipal license subject to city procedures and the $2,000 fee. Council members did not place a numerical cap on how many resort or resort-hotel licenses may be issued; staff advised that state statute contains no population-based formula for those licenses.

The council approved the ordinance on second reading and the Horse Palace application by unanimous recorded vote of the eight members present.