Ruth’s Chris Steak House and Yard House have plans to establish restaurants in the anticipated Block 59 dining/entertainment complex in Naperville. However, this is contingent on the city eliminating the constraints on wine and beer serving sizes that restrict these national chains from offering their menu-advertised beverages.

Both restaurant brands will not agree to be part of this upcoming project if the existing limitations persist. If this occurs, it is likely other tenants—such as The Cheesecake Factory, First Watch, Shake Shack, and Stan’s Donuts—might also terminate their leases. This information was shared by Andrew Balzer, a project developer from Brixmor Property Group, to the Naperville Liquor Commission.

The Block 59 project, which is scheduled to tentatively launch in 2025 in the northwest corner of Route 59 and Aurora Avenue, is being promoted as a regional hub for dining and entertainment.

According to Balzer, Ruth’s Chris and Yard House are key elements to this project, but will cancel their leases if they are prohibited from serving the beverages they are famous for at their other establishments. For Yard House, this is the Half Yard, a 32-ounce beer that is part of its brand identity. For Ruth’s Chris, this is a 9-ounce glass of wine that it is known for.

According to Naperville regulations, the maximum serving size permitted is 24 ounces for beer and cider, and for wine it is limited to 6 ounces per serving.

In the event that either of the restaurants decides to pull out of the Naperville location due to this limitation and if other tenants follow the same path, the entire undertaking could be at risk, as pointed out by Balzer.

He also mentioned that no such restrictions have been imposed on serving sizes at any other locations for both the companies, and they have always been recipients of positive responses from the communities where they are situated.

Currently, Yard House operates 88 locations across the country, including two Illinois locations in Lombard and Glenview. Ruth’s Chris, on the other hand, has a total of 134 locations, with branches in Northbrook and South Barrington.

Liquor commissioners expressed that they are not bothered by the concept of permitting 9-ounce servings of wine, underlining that certain eateries may already be presenting this quantity due to a lack of awareness about the restriction. However, they expressed apprehension that acceding to a 32-ounce glass of beer could establish a dangerous pattern and pave way for similar demands from other businesses.

Mayor Scott Wehrli, the leading figure of the liquor commission, voiced that the city has no intentions of providing an undue benefit to a single business by sanctioning a regulation that’s not universally applicable.

The competition in Naperville’s restaurant industry is fierce, according to the commissioners. They stated that a new standard would need to be implemented universally so that a newbie gets no specific privileges that existing businesses lack.

“Our primary responsibility lies in ensuring safety, but we can’t overlook economic development either,” stated Commissioner Tony Signorella. “What concerns me is the precedent we’re setting.”

Ex-Mayor Steve Chirico, currently a member of the commission, observed that the existing rules came into play when venues offered beer cans with 25 ounces volume, equivalent to two beers, during the last call, resulting in patrons consuming significantly high quantities in a short period before closure.

The commissioners discussed whether they could implement a restriction on the alcohol content in the 32-ounce beers, but they acknowledged that such an arrangement might be difficult to monitor and enforce.

According to Balzer, Yard House predominantly offers Miller Lite or Coors Light in the 32-ounce glass that’s characteristic of the outlet, both of which do not pack high alcohol content. At their Lombard outlet, the option of half-yard constitutes approximately 3% and 6% of the total beer sales on weekdays and weekends respectively, Balzer mentioned.

Voicing her support for the proposal to increase the pour limits, Christine Jeffries, who is at the helm of the Naperville Development Partnership, opined that bartenders and all those involved in serving alcohol in Naperville are adequately trained to do so responsibly.

She mentioned that the amount of alcohol isn’t as substantial as ordering a 60-ounce pitcher of beer or margaritas, or a bottle of wine for the table, both of which can now be legally purchased.

Jeffries remarked, “We haven’t had chaos with these items. I have considerable faith in Naperville and the Basset training we carry out here.”

The commission unanimously voted 5-0 to endorse the upgraded wine serving size but showed divided opinions on the larger beer size. The latter was greenlit by a 3-2 vote, with commissioners Kelly Douglas and Ray McGury voting against the amendment.

Before the aforementioned changes can be implemented, they have to gain approval from Naperville City Council. The council intends to examine the requests in a future assembly.

Michelle Mullins is a freelance reporter for the Naperville Sun.