Securing and protecting what matters most to you
when you’re starting or growing your business.
“Highly recommend. Super helpful.”- Chicago Pizza and Oven Grinder Company.
BAR | RESTAURANT | LIQUOR LICENSE | BUSINESS STRUCTURING
Whether you plan to buy or sell, open or expand, serve liquor or stay open later, congratulations are in order. You’re an entrepreneur choosing your own path wherever it may lead. And you’re not alone.
As a former masterbrewer and fellow entrepreneur, Staza Law’s Founder and Principal, Andy Hays, is a business and liquor license attorney with a special regard for bar and restaurant clients. He’s been there. And he’s grown a strong team of legal advisors to lay a foundation and put up some guardrails so you can focus on building a successful business.
We have years of experience serving and representing all types of businesses in Chicago and beyond. We hope to serve and represent yours.
Don’t have the bandwidth to worry about the legal stuff? Leave that to us. We’re passionate about keeping businesses compliant.
How do we help our entrepreneurial bar/restaurant clients?
For starters, we handle all aspects of liquor licensing.
We’ll let one of those clients tell the tale.
“There’s a lot of mystery around liquor licenses in Chicago. When we bought our first restaurant, we went with a high-profile liquor license attorney, and they were supposed to know everything about liquor licenses and be connected downtown, and it wasn’t a great experience, I need to not feel that I’m being taken advantage of. So with the second restaurant, I reached out to Andy.
Turned out there isn’t a big mystery around these things, and he made it happen, and we’ve used him every time since. I’ve recommended him to all my friends for their liquor license needs because you know, it isn’t about who you know in Chicago any more. Maybe it used to be, but now it’s really just making sure you cover all your bases, and that’s Andy.
If you can choose to have a good feeling about your legal help, why wouldn’t you do that? I can trust Andy, I’ve developed a personal relationship with him, and that’s very important to me.
It’s like a partnership. And in my business, you have to rely on your vendors, your delivery drivers, on your employees of course, and then your legal help. And all of it together makes a team that sails the ship. And if you’re lucky, you can kinda stand back at the stern, and enjoy the ride. That’s what good legal help will get you.
I look for the freedom to worry about all the things that I’m passionate about, and kind of not worry about the stuff I’m not passionate about which would be anything involving City Hall… Andy’s got that for me, yeah.
And Jaime has been wonderful to work with, too. She reaches out any time there’s a question. She is always there to answer an email, she’s always there to run over to City Hall for a last-minute thing. So it is a team effort and you know, it seems to streamline the process.” 
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We’ve got you covered on the things you either can’t do or don’t want to do.
At Staza Law, we bring years of relevant experience and a streamlined approach
to addressing our business clients’ needs including…
… Buying, selling, or opening your own restaurant, bar or liquor store
… Adding a partner or changing ownership of a bar or restaurant
… Obtaining a state or city license to sell liquor
… Appealing a denied liquor license
… Legally structuring and registering your business
… Making sure you’re in compliance with the state and local governments
… Obtaining a PPA (Public Place of Amusement) or Late Hour license
… Adding a Sidewalk Cafe or Patio onto your business
“Andy is smart, confident without bragging, aggressive when he needs to be, and the staff is kickass.” Need some of that?
How would another business client describe their experience with us?
“I am a client of this firm regarding a corporate matter. For years, Andrew, Jamie, and the whole team have gone above and beyond every time that I have needed help.
I would recommend them to anyone looking for legal help. The firm’s courtesy and attention to detail are second to none.” – F Kress
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FAQs
A few of the questions you may be asking yourself.
Q
Do I need a license for the city of Chicago and the state of Illinois?
Q
What is a ‘dry’ area?
Q
Can nearby neighbors stop me from opening a bar down the street?
Q
What’s the latest I can keep my bar open?
Q
How long do I have to wait to hear if my license will be granted?
Q
How often do I have to get a liquor license renewed?
Q
Are there any regulations for happy hours?
Q
What’s the difference between an ‘outdoor patio’ and ‘sidewalk cafe’?
An Outdoor Patio Liquor License allows a business to sell liquor on an adjacent private property, i.e. a physical extension of the existing indoor business. If, on the other hand, you wanted to sell liquor or food on the sidewalk out in front of your business, that’s public property, and that requires a Sidewalk Café Permit. In addition to the permit, you’ll also need a Retail Food Establishment License and/or liquor license if you plan to sell it and don’t already have one.
“When choosing legal help you want somebody with integrity who doesn’t want to fleece you. That’s Andy.”
The Staza Law blog has
answers to Bar/Restaurant/Liquor License questions.
