Ruth’s Chris Steak House and Yard House intend to launch their outlets in the anticipated Block 59 dining/entertainment hub in Naperville. However, their ability to do so hinges on the city’s decision to ease the restrictions on wine and beer serving sizes that currently hinder the two national chains from offering the drinks outlined in their menus.

Both restaurants are presently unwilling to join the development with such constraints, and if they decide to withdraw, other proposed tenants—including The Cheesecake Factory, First Watch, Shake Shake, and Stan’s Donuts—might likely terminate their leases as well. This scenario was brought into the open by Andrew Balzer, the project developer from the Brixmor Property Group, during his interaction with the Naperville Liquor Commission on Thursday.

The planned Block 59, located at the northwest junction of Route 59 and Aurora Avenue and provisionally set to open its doors in 2025, is being promoted as a premier regional dining and entertainment hot spot.

Block 59 relies on the inclusion of Ruth’s Chris and Yard House as its cornerstones, Balzer remarked. Nevertheless, if the establishments cannot serve their unique beverages synonymous with their other branches, they vow to cancel their leases. For Yard House, their signature beverage is the “Half Yard”—a 32-ounce beer that forms a significant part of their corporate brand identity. On the other hand, at Ruth’s Chris, guests expect to enjoy their famed 9-ounce glasses of wine.

Under Naperville codes, 24 ounces of beer and cider is the maximum serving size allowed and wine is limited to 6 ounces per serving.

If either restaurant decides not to operate in Naperville due to this restriction and if other tenants do the same, the whole development will be at risk according to Balzer.

Both these companies have not faced such serving size restrictions at their other locations and both have received positive feedback from the communities they serve.

Yard House has 88 restaurants all over the country, including ones in Lombard and Glenview in Illinois. Ruth’s Chris boasts of 134 restaurants, including ones located in Northbrook and South Barrington.

Liquor commissioners stated that they weren’t worried about permitting 9-ounce wine servings, as it’s likely some eateries are presently serving this volume due to ignorance of the restrictions. However, they expressed apprehension that approving a 32-ounce beer serve could pave the way for other businesses aspiring for the same.

In the words of Mayor Scott Wehrli, who also serves as the liquor commission’s head, the city doesn’t wish to bestow an unjust advantage on a single enterprise by ratifying a resolution that’s not universally accessible.

Liquor commissioners attested that the restaurant industry in Naperville is incredibly competitive. They concluded that a new standard would need to be established that didn’t give a newcomer something that existing businesses lacked.

“Our mandate isn’t only safety. We must also concentrate on economic development,” affirmed Commissioner Tony Signorella. “The issue that concerns me is the precedent being set.”

Steve Chirico, formerly the Mayor and now a commission member, commented that the current code was established at a time when establishments were serving 25-ounce beer cans, two beer equivalent, during the last call. This scenario made patrons consume a considerable amount just before closing hours.

The commission members mulled over the possibility of setting a limit on alcohol content for 32-ounce beers, albeit they agreed that such a condition could be challenging to manage.

According to Balzer, Yard House primarily serves Miller Lite or Coors Light in its signature 32-ounce glass, both of which do not have high alcohol content. He also shared that the half-yard option accounts for approximately 3% of weekday beer sales and 6% of weekend beer sales at its location in Lombard.

Christine Jeffries, who holds the position of President at the Naperville Development Partnership, expressed her support for higher pour limits. She is confident that bartenders and servers in Naperville have undergone proper training and can serve alcohol responsibly.

She stated that it’s not as much alcohol as purchasing a 60-ounce pitcher of beer, margaritas, or a wine bottle for the table, which are all now legal.

Jeffries mentioned that they haven’t faced chaos with these items. She expressed her confidence in both Naperville and Basset’s training.

The commissioners recommended the larger wine serving size with a unanimous 5-0 vote, but were divided about the beer size increase. The latter was accepted by a narrow 3-2 vote, with Commissioners Kelly Douglas and Ray McGury opposing the modification.

Both changes require the approval of the Naperville City Council before implementation. The council will discuss the requests at an upcoming meeting.

Michelle Mullins is a freelance reporter for the Naperville Sun.