Oshkosh council suspends Crossroads Chance liquor license for 60 days after hearing

After a daylong revocation hearing, the Oshkosh Common Council voted to suspend for 60 days the combination Class B liquor license and the mechanical-entertainment-device license issued to Crossroads Chance LLC, the council announced March 31.

The city prosecutor said the complaint alleges seven violations ranging from operating without an approved licensing agent to purchasing alcohol from unauthorized sources, unpaid wholesaler invoices and ongoing health- and fire-code problems in the establishment’s kitchen and hood/suppression system. Prosecutor Nicholas Serwin told the council the allegations included allegedly refilling pre-mixed drinks into original liquor bottles, invoices that did not match seized bottles, and a long-standing failure to maintain required hood and suppression inspections.

Owner Cody Hughes testified in the hearing and repeatedly told the council he is working to correct paperwork and staffing problems, had been trying to secure a new licensed agent and said some of the cited paperwork on file with the city was outdated. He acknowledged some failures and asked for time to remedy them; he denied knowingly endangering patrons and said he has lined up a prospective agent to oversee compliance.

Witnesses called by the complainant included the deputy city clerk, a Winnebago County public-health inspector, Fire Marshal Jack Clark and a special agent from the Wisconsin Department of Revenue. Inspectors testified they found grease buildup, missing sanitizer and other sanitation violations in the kitchen; the fire marshal said hood and fire-suppression service records were out of date and that inspections in 2024 and 2025 identified deficiencies. The state Department of Revenue agent described inspection work that identified roughly 14 bottles of alcohol so far that are believed to have come from unauthorized sources; investigators seized about 84 bottles for review.

Council members debated remedies — ranging from full revocation to a suspension with conditions — and ultimately amended a motion to revoke into a 60-day suspension. The council recorded a 5–2 vote in favor of the suspension. The clerk will notify the licensee of the council’s action and the suspension took effect immediately; the council said it expects staff to verify compliance before the licensee resumes operations and that the city may pursue further action if conditions are not met.

The hearing record shows the council processed evidence, allowed cross-examination and heard testimony from multiple agencies. The council emphasized that its authority under state law includes revocation or suspension for cause; members split on whether the violations documented at the hearing merited revocation, with a majority opting to give the business a short period to correct outstanding problems.

Next steps: the licensee remains suspended for 60 days; the city clerk, licensing staff and inspectors will coordinate follow-up inspections and reporting so the council can determine whether the business has corrected the cited violations or whether additional enforcement is necessary.