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ALRC approves operator and liquor licenses, sets conditions on several new venues
Summary
The Alcohol License Review Committee approved multiple operator and liquor licenses on March 18, 2026, including LJ's, Madison Axe, Tacos El Ario, SGD Dubu and Amisto (313 W. Johnson), placing conditions on hours and restaurant standards for some applicants and referring one operator application for further documentation.
The Alcohol License Review Committee approved a slate of operator and liquor licenses Wednesday and attached conditions to several new venues, citing neighborhood concerns, safety training and municipal definitions of a restaurant.
The committee unanimously approved an operator license for the applicant associated with LJ's after Captain Hartman reviewed prior convictions and the applicant provided proof of rehabilitation measures including a DUI class, an ignition interlock and an employer recommendation. "I was asked to complete a DUI class in order to get my license back, which I have completed and provided documentation," the applicant said during testimony.
Why it matters: The committee is charged with vetting applicants' fitness and with imposing conditions intended to protect public safety and neighborhood livability. For some new businesses, members used license conditions to limit alcohol sales and entertainment hours while allowing the enterprises to operate.
Details and outcomes: Brandon Long’s Madison Axe — an axe-throwing entertainment venue with eight lanes and an indoor "backyard" — won approval after the applicant described staff beverage-server training, a two-drink limit while in lanes and age restrictions for throwing (minimum age 12; under-18 must be accompanied). "Safety's number one," Brandon Long told the committee while describing staff training and lane supervision. Members noted the business’s stated closing time (midnight on weekends, about 10:30 p.m. on weekdays) and approved the license with no recorded objections.
Tacos El Ario’s applicant (address read as 4222 Easttown Boulevard) confirmed a Spanish-English translator and said the operation will be a family restaurant serving food and beverages including margaritas and micheladas; the committee pressed for responsible beverage server training and operational clarity before approval.
SGD Dubu So Gong Dong Tofu & Korean Barbecue (State Street) and Amisto (313 W. Johnson) were approved with standard "remain a restaurant" conditions. For Amisto (applicant Tanya Zikarich), the committee added explicit limits on alcohol and entertainment: liquor sales must cease by 10 p.m. Sunday–Thursday and by midnight Friday–Saturday, and entertainment must end at the same times. Zikarich said the goal is "not to be a nightclub" and described plans for ambient DJs during dining hours.
Votes at a glance: The committee recorded motions and approvals by voice vote throughout the meeting; where the clerk recorded "Seeing none, the motion carries," proceedings indicate unanimous consent among members present.
What was not decided: One operator application (Jerome Lovear) was referred to the next meeting after staff and police flagged multiple convictions and the applicant acknowledged omitting an OWI from his application. The committee asked for documentation (letters on letterhead, counseling records and attendance) to substantiate rehabilitation before reconsideration.
Next steps: Referred items will return to the ALRC for reconsideration with the requested documentation. Applicants with conditional approvals may request amendments if they later seek extended hours or different entertainment permissions.
Reported by: Alcohol License Review Committee meeting, March 18, 2026.
