Waukesha committee approves bartender license for Megan Blochstorf after review of recent offenses

At its Sept. 8 meeting, the Waukesha City Ordinance and Licensing Committee voted unanimously to approve a bartender operator license application for Megan Blochstorf, despite committee concern about recent nonfelony offenses and ongoing treatment.

Committee members pressed Blochstorf and her employer, Dylan Knight, owner and operator of Travieso, for details about her sobriety and workplace supervision. Blochstorf said she is 82 days sober, entered treatment in June and confirmed none of the offenses listed on her application are felonies. Knight told the committee Blochstorf had been in a training period at Travieso for about two weeks, would work mainly Friday and Saturday nights and would “always be working with somebody else, a manager role, behind the bar.” He added the business enforces a “no tolerance policy for drug use or drinking behind the bar.”

The committee’s concern focused on how recent the incidents on Blochstorf’s record were and whether her sobriety was sufficiently stable for bartending duties. “I commend you for getting treatment, and congratulations on being 82 days sober,” said Alicia, a committee member. Another committee member noted the timeline was “less than three months” and said that raised concern about recent activity. Blochstorf said she had previously bartended while sober and that she retains a Kenosha bartending license that is valid through June 2026 and that she has held for about 10 years.

A motion to approve Blochstorf’s application was made by the committee chair (name not specified in the record) and seconded by Alderson Helvinsleben; the motion passed on a unanimous voice vote. Committee members advised Blochstorf that the approval will be placed on the consent agenda for the full council and suggested she attend the council meeting in case any council member removes the item from consent for discussion. The committee noted the next council meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, Sept. 16, at 6:00 p.m.

Votes at a glance: the committee also approved a temporary Class B license for the Woktober beer-and-wine walk and renewed the mobile home park license for Park Place MHC LLC; both passed unanimously. An invited bartender/operator application for Grace Davis was held over to the committee’s next meeting.

The committee opened and closed the meeting with routine items: minutes from the prior meeting were approved by unanimous consent and there were no public commenters recorded. The meeting adjourned at 6:14 p.m.