Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Alcohol Licenses topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
West Allis committee approves Pickler license, denies Black Bar and holds Rapina's pending paperwork
Summary
Economic and Development Committee approved a Class B/C license for The Pickler, denied a transfer for Black Bar and Bites after repeated police reports of after‑hours serving and on‑premises smoking, approved a new license for Beach Barbecue, and held Rapina Fine Foods' application pending floor‑plan and incorporation documents; the panel also approved TID No. 22.
The City of West Allis Economic and Development Committee on an agenda day considered multiple liquor‑license matters and a tax‑increment district. The committee approved a Class B/C license for Marco West Dallas LLC d/b/a The Pickler at 2550 South Street and reiterated that an on‑premises licensed operator must supervise every alcohol transaction.
Committee members questioned agent Christopher Bur about operations and a self‑service cooler stocked with prepackaged beer. Bur said the venue has opened and that “we actually just opened that,” and described a staffed front desk and trained employees who will check identification before sale. A committee member warned that the city requires an operator or permit holder to be present to supervise transactions, saying the person overseeing alcohol sales must be able to determine when a patron should not be served and must be on the premises and observing sales.
The committee next considered a transfer for Black Bares Wisconsin LLC d/b/a Black Bar and Bites at 9105 West Lincoln Avenue after reviewing police reports that listed multiple violations since the venue’s last appearance. The staff summary and committee members cited noise complaints, after‑hours service and on‑premises hookah or smoking violations that repeated problems the committee had raised previously. The committee moved to deny the license transfer; one member said, “I don’t even feel you should have a license,” citing continued violations.
Agent Jennifer Pierce disputed some allegations during the hearing, saying she had not been cited for the items described. The committee relied on the tabulated reports and its prior warning and voted to deny the application.
The committee approved a new Class B tavern license for SBT Barbecue LLC d/b/a Beach Barbecue (7412 West Springfield Ave) after agent Wesley Tar confirmed he has completed required alcohol service training.
The panel then reviewed Rapina’s Inc. d/b/a Rapina Fine Foods (7641 W. Lake Road). Owner Maria Rapina acknowledged confusion about licensing categories and said a Valentine’s event had included a bottle of wine that was shared; she said she accepts responsibility and apologized. Committee members discussed a conditional approach — limiting alcohol service to scheduled post‑retail dinners, storing alcohol in a locked office when not in use, and surrendering a previous Class B as a condition — but also flagged numerous application deficiencies: an inaccurate or incomplete floor plan, blank incorporation documents, and incorrect percentage‑of‑sales fields. The committee agreed to hold Rapina’s application until corrected documentation is provided.
Separately, the Economic and Development Committee approved a resolution creating Tax Incremental District No. 22, adopting the project plan and establishing its boundaries.
The committee’s next steps include requiring Rapina’s to supply corrected floor plans, incorporation records and updated application fields before the matter is returned to committee.
