The Dell Rapids City Council approved the second reading of a new restaurant liquor license ordinance during their regular meeting on Monday, December 6th.  The council approved the new ordinance, Ordinance 903, unanimously.

This ordinance is a specific license that will allow new restaurants in Dell Rapids to be able to serve alcohol, provided they are approved for the license, as long as the total gross sales of alcohol does not exceed 40% of total revenue.  The ordinance requires that all holders of this new license submit an annual financial report to the city proving they meet the 40% criteria.

This ordinance only includes “full-service restaurants”.  The ordinance defines such a business as one in which a waiter or waitress delivers food and drink offered from a printed food menu to patrons at a table, booth, or bar area.  The business shall have a dining room(s), a kitchen, and the number and kinds of employees necessary for preparing, cooking, and serving of meals.  Any restaurant that only serves fry food orders or foods such as sandwiches, hamburgers, or salads would not be considered as “full-service”.

The reason this ordinance was proposed and approved is because the city is limited to the number of liquor licenses according to state statute based on the population of Dell Rapids.  All available licenses the city has are currently issued.  This ordinance will allow the city flexibility offer this new type of liquor license to a new restaurant.