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Committee allows candle-making businesses to serve wine, expanding existing exemptions
Summary
The Licenses Committee voted to amend municipal rules to allow candle-making businesses to apply for and serve wine on licensed premises (File No. 250542), aligning them with other small-activity exemptions such as painting studios and nail salons.
The Milwaukee Licenses Committee on June 27 approved an ordinance (File No. 250542) to broaden the city's list of businesses that may hold a Class B wine license by adding candle-making businesses to the existing set of exemptions.
Alderman Westmoreland, appearing virtually, told the committee the change is "a simple straightforward change" to remove candle making businesses from the list of prohibited business types for a Class B wine license. "That's the extent of the change being proposed here," Westmoreland said.
Licensing manager Jim Cooney said the city's starting position is that a Class B wine license cannot be issued to a premise that engages primarily in another type of business, but a list of exemptions exists: restaurants, hotels, bowling alleys, paint-and-sip studios, axe-throwing facilities, nail salons and hair salons are among the examples. The amendment brings candle-makers into that exempted group, making it lawful for a candle studio to serve wine by the glass or complementary wine to patrons, similar to a paint-and-sip arrangement.
Committee members asked whether pottery studios were exempt ("They are not," Cooney said), and whether wine served would be complimentary or for sale — Cooney confirmed "sale or complimentary."
The committee adopted the ordinance by voice vote after Alderman Mark Chambers moved adoption and no members objected.
Why it matters: The change clarifies which small-format retail/experience businesses may offer wine to customers and may help small entrepreneurs (for example, makerspaces or craft studios) expand service options without seeking further code changes.
Votes at a glance: The motion to adopt File No. 250542 was moved by Alderman Mark Chambers and approved by the committee by voice vote with no recorded objections.
Ending: The ordinance will proceed through the council process. Licensing staff said existing license rules and other regulatory requirements (health, fire, building) continue to apply to any business seeking a wine license.
