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City Council approves Cotton Duck LLC to run Forest Park Beach concessions, OKs Class K liquor license amendment
Summary
Lake Forest City Council voted unanimously to award Cotton Duck LLC the 2026 Forest Park Beach concession contract and to amend city code to allow a Class K liquor license there; council discussed hours, weather closures and a proposed five-year term limit before approving the agreement.
The Lake Forest City Council on March 16 approved a management agreement naming Cotton Duck LLC as the recommended concessionaire for Forest Park Beach and amended city code to create a Class K liquor license for the beach.
Council heard a staff presentation outlining the request-for-proposal process, which drew six local applicants and included interviews and a five-person evaluation team. Director Mike Wick told council the selection criteria emphasized local experience, brand recognition and proposed programming to elevate the beach visitor experience. Wick recommended Cotton Duck LLC based on its local restaurant operations and plans for enhanced offerings.
Representatives invited by staff said they are Lake Forest residents and described plans for set hours with flexibility to open earlier for beachgoers and to accommodate online ordering. Council members pressed for operational details: Alderman questions covered hours of operation, whether beverages would be served in glass (the vendor said no), how alcohol would be secured after hours (vendor and staff cited state requirements that alcohol be stored behind a locked door), and whether credit-card processing fees would be passed to customers (the vendor said prices would reflect menu pricing plus applicable sales tax and that no additional processing fee would be added).
Several aldermen asked that the motion include an explicit maximum term to match the city’s usual approach to vendor contracts. Staff clarified the agreement is written as a one-year term with the option for one-year extensions and that council could amend the motion to cap total renewals; council agreed to add language that limits additional one-year extensions to a five-year maximum before taking the contract back to open bid.
There was no public comment on the item. The council then moved to approve the concession agreement and the ordinance amending the code for the Class K liquor license with the discussed modifications. The roll-call vote was 8 in favor, 0 opposed; the motion carried.
The approved agreement will govern operations for the coming season; staff said the first year will be treated as a learning period and that hours and operational details will be refined with the vendor.
