KANE COUNTY, Ill. — The Kane County Liquor Commission voted 3–1 to grant a Class E bar license with a Sunday endorsement to Blackjack's Gentleman's Club at 7 N. 657 Route 25 in Saint Charles Township, despite several residents urging the commission to deny the application and requests that the chair recuse.

Public commenters at the commission's September 2025 meeting said the club's owners had prior legal troubles and that adding alcohol to an adult-entertainment venue would harm neighborhood safety. "The Kane County Liquor Commission is not required to grant a liquor license just because someone applies for it," said Brian Anderson of Sugar Grove, urging commissioners to treat licensing as discretionary and to prioritize public safety. Cathy Showalter, who said she has attended previous hearings on the same family's applications, said: "I don't want strippers. Strippers are one thing, but I don't think it's necessary to have a liquor license involved."

Britney Patterson, attorney for the applicant Elgin Entertainment Holdings Inc., asked the commission to amend the application on the record to reflect that the property is in Saint Charles Township (the address and property identification number were already correct). Patterson represented that the application had been properly completed and submitted in September 2025.

Commission deliberations focused on the county's liquor code and whether the applicant had met the requirements. A commission member who supported the license said the county code allows adult entertainment and that the organization "has complied 100% with those requirements," adding that any future effort to restrict adult businesses by zoning or code change would be a separate policy discussion.

On the roll call, Arroyo, Caius and Linder voted yes; Surges voted no. The commission announced the motion passed and that the license was issued to Blackjack's Gentleman's Club, owner listed as Elgin Entertainment Holdings Inc., owner Anne Marie Butita.

The meeting also included requests from callers for the chair to recuse herself based on prior campaign contributions; commissioners recorded the recusal requests publicly but did not take further action on recusal during the meeting. After the license action the commission addressed closed-session minutes and procedural items before adjourning.

The commission's records show the application was amended on the record to add Saint Charles Township; the commission did not announce any immediate follow-up conditions tied to the liquor license at the time of the vote. The commission moved into closed session later in the meeting to consider closed-session minutes and other legal matters.