4. Country Suites Hotel, National Lodging: Liquor License without Food Sales.1 MEMORANDUM
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CITY OF 4
CHANHASSEN
690 COULTER DRIVE • P.O. BOX 147 • CHANHASSEN, MINNESOTA 55317
(612) 937 -1900 • FAX (612) 937 -5739
TO: Mayor and City Council
FROM: Don Ashworth, City Manager
DATE: February 21, 1996
SUBJ: Consider Request from Country Suites Hotel to Amend City Code to Allow
On -Sale Intoxicating Liquor Sales without Food Sales, Al Schackman, National
Lodging
The ownership group of the Country Suites Hotel has entered into a purchase agreement with
Bloomberg Companies to buy the building directly to the east of the hotel (old Animal Fair
building). They would propose to construct a corridor from the hotel and to remodel the Animal
Fair building for meeting rooms (see attached site plan). As the plan indicates, the area would be
sufficient for one large group or four smaller, groups including an area where food could be
brought in and catered to any one of the four rooms. I'm aware of the fact that many of our local
businesses desperately need meeting rooms. The need is large enough for them to have
contacted Country Suites and inform them that they will probably have to reduce their room
commitments during the course of the year if meeting space is not provided within reasonable
proximity of the hotel itself.
The hotel owners believe it is critical to also have an area where conference or training session
participants can socialize at the end of the day. They are proposing that the Fireplace Room be
used for this purpose (again, see site plan). Country Suites is requesting that the building they
will be acquiring /remodeling be allowed to serve liquor in a similar` fashion as exists for the
dinner theater. They would abide by all of the rules established for an exclusive liquor
establishment (bar); i.e. participants would not be allowed to take drinks back to their room, there
would be no room service from the bar to rooms; etc.
Most of the elements necessary for the hotel owners to be able to obtain a liquor license are in
place, i. e. the proposed` bar area wodl'd'be separated "from the hotel,` °the Animal Fair'building is - a
separately legally described parcel, and the two facilities would be managed separately. The
license being sought by the hotel group would be for an exclusive liquor establishment (bar).
They would not be regularly serving food as part of the bar business. During the time frame that
the Pony Express was licensed in Chanhassen, their classification was that of an exclusive liquor
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Mayor and City Council
February 21, 1996
Page 2
the Pony Express was licensed in Chanhassen, their classification was that of an exclusive liquor '
establishment. Currently, Chanhassen Bowl also has that type of license.
Tonight's action is not approving an exclusive liquor license for Country Suites, but instead, an
indication by the City Council as to whether this concept is acceptable and whether the
partnership should go through the time and effort to make formal application. If the City Council '
did approve the concept, I would have the City Attorney's Office verify that no other code
sections would be violated and to draft the necessary conditions to ensure that the ownership was
being established under state guidelines and with the conditions established locally. '
Although Country Suites will be applying for an exclusive liquor establishment designation, staff
considers the potential of this operation creating some form of problem for the city or citizens i
would be far less then for a typical bar. Accordingly, staff would recommend conceptual
approval. 1
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NATIONAL LODGING COMPANIES, INC.
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Banquet Rooms Lounge Meeting Rooms
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