Western Springs Still Approves Its Holiday Pours One Address at a Time

How long did it take Western Springs to issue its first liquor license after Prohibition ended? Sixty-eight years. The village allowed no alcohol sales from its founding in 1886. When federal Prohibition was repealed in 1934, Western Springs kept its own ban, and the first license didn't go out until 2002, to the Dominick's on 47th Street. That history comes from a Western Springs Historical Society account published by Patch.

That history still shapes how downtown changes. The village didn't throw the doors open after repeal. It has added places to drink one at a time, at specific addresses, with the board talking each one through. This holiday season is a good chance to watch the process work. There's a new wine shop on Johnson Avenue, an Italian restaurant aiming to open on Burlington before Thanksgiving, and a Hillgrove Avenue dining room that was nearly remodeled into something else and wasn't.

The village that needed 2,000 signatures

The road to that first license is worth knowing, because it explains why things still move slowly. A 1980 advisory referendum came out narrowly in favor of packaged liquor sales, and the village held off because the margin was so close. In 1994, the economic development commission surveyed residents about what businesses they wanted, and 84 percent said they'd like package goods sales or a restaurant that served alcohol.

Even then, putting repeal on the ballot in the older parts of town took a petition signed by 25 percent of registered voters, about 2,000 signatures by the Historical Society's count. Residents gathered them, and the measure passed with 60 percent of the vote. No one applied for a license right away. The ordinance was widely seen as too restrictive, and it took later changes before Dominick's got its license in 2002. Vie followed the next year as the first restaurant licensed to serve.

That one-business-at-a-time approach is written into the village code. Its section limiting the number of licenses lists them by class and by named business. Any change to the count needs an ordinance from the Village President and Board of Trustees. The Theatre of Western Springs on Hampton Avenue has its own license class, created for the theater by name.

The June vote that brought a wine shop to Johnson Avenue

The newest licensee shows how this plays out now. In June 2026 the Village Board approved a license for The Clever Drinker at 4354 Johnson Ave. That's the former home of The Opry, a cocktail bar that opened in early 2024 and closed this spring. Patch reported that the owners, Western Springs residents Aron Dorner and Alex Corral, pitched the shop as retail first, with a "small by-the-glass program" planned for a later phase.

The board approved it unanimously, but not without discussion. Trustee Karen Martin pointed out that the license carried no food requirement. She grew up in Western Springs, and she talked about the village's long move away from its dry-town days:

"I worry a lot about all the flexibility on how you execute under this ordinance."

She also said she hoped the shop would be "super successful." Corral answered that it would be a place to gather and learn about wine, then take a bottle home, adding, "It's certainly not going to be open until 1 a.m." The Village President noted the space holds 30 people. Trustee Nicole Chen, recalling a wine tasting she happened into on a business trip, predicted the mood would be "very convivial." The owners plan to work with local restaurants on food delivery.

The shop was set to open at noon on Saturday, Aug. 29, promising "high-end curation" and "zero stuffiness," according to Patch's opening-weekend story. When the board approved it in June, the planned hours were noon to 8 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday. Check the shop's own site before planning a weeknight stop. In an earlier Patch interview, the owners said the business plan aimed to "remove the intimidation factor" by offering guided help choosing bottles. That's useful if you're shopping for a host gift you'd rather not guess at.

Where the downtown map stands heading into the holidays

Three downtown addresses changed hands or nearly did in 2026:

The Burlington Avenue opening is the one most people will plan around. Patch reported on Oct. 22 that owner Chris Elsey hopes to open Alano Ristorante on Nov. 20 "or maybe sooner." That's the space Salerno's left in January after nearly a decade on the block. Elsey already runs Hillgrove Tap at 800 Hillgrove Ave., along with a Tinley Park location, and he was once managing partner of the Francesca's restaurants.

His liquor license application describes Alano as an "elegant Italian restaurant," at an estimated $30 to $45 per person depending on drinks. The menu he outlined covers appetizers, salads, pastas, pizza, fish, chicken, and steaks, plus a bar list of specialized spirits, classic cocktails, wine, and beer. The restaurant's website still says it's opening "this fall," with no hours or reservation details posted yet. Treat Nov. 20 as a target, not a booking date.

Davanti Enoteca almost became something else. Its owner, Bensenville-based Scott Harris Hospitality, had planned to remodel the space into Vasili's, its Mediterranean concept, which has a location in Naperville. In early September, a village spokesperson told Patch the remodel had been canceled and Davanti would stay. Davanti and Hillgrove Tap share the 800 Hillgrove building, so the corner keeps both of its familiar dining rooms through the holidays.

One gap in the current lineup has its own history. Vie, the first Western Springs restaurant to serve liquor after repeal, announced in 2023 that it would close its 4471 Lawn Ave. location after 19 years, according to Patch.

Building a holiday Saturday around the new map

Once Alano opens, a Saturday downtown in late fall has more to work with. The calendar has some fixed points to plan around.

• Through Nov. 1: The Theatre of Western Springs is running Working, with an ASL-interpreted performance on Saturday, Oct. 31, at 2 p.m.
• Nov. 6–8: The theater's High School Rep company stages Macbeth.
• Saturday, Nov. 7, 9 a.m. to noon: The Village's Pumpkin Smash composting event takes place in the St. John of the Cross Parish School parking lot, according to the village calendar. Bring your porch pumpkins there instead of the trash.
• Nov. 20: Alano Ristorante's target opening.
• Dec. 4–13: Cinderella runs on the theater's Lou & Nancy Schauer Mainstage.

The biggest day on the downtown calendar is Saturday, Dec. 5. The Western Springs Business Association's 2026 brochure lists Winter Wonderland from noon to 5 p.m. and says the association's events take place at Tower Green, 914 Hillgrove Ave. The program lists Santa arriving by firetruck, the lighting of the Village tree, and photos with Santa.

That Saturday also falls on the first weekend of Cinderella, so you could plan a full afternoon and evening downtown:

1. Arrive at Tower Green after noon for the firetruck arrival and Santa photos.
2. Head over to Johnson Avenue and pick up a bottle at The Clever Drinker for whoever is hosting next.
3. Stay for the tree lighting before the event wraps at 5 p.m.
4. Book dinner on Hillgrove or Burlington, then check the Cinderella performance schedule on the theater's site if a show is part of the plan.

Downtown's longer-term future is being worked out now. In September, the village started a 15-month update of its Comprehensive Plan, the first since 2003, covering land use, transportation, community character, and economic development.

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