GRAFTON – A Grafton ice cream shop’s request for a liquor license remains up for consideration following a lengthy discussion between city officials.
Grafton City Council members on Tuesday, July 15, 2025, agreed to keep an ordinance raising the number of Class A liquor licenses in Grafton “on the table.” After the ordinance was first laid over in June, Mayor Mike Morrow said the item must be voted on within the same quarter, setting the stage for a final vote at the council’s August 19, 2025 meeting.
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On July 11, 2025, the City Council held a “special meeting” to discuss the city’s current rules and regulations on liquor licenses for local businesses. The special meeting followed a heavily discussed request made during the June City Council meeting from a local ice cream shop, Gogo-May’s Sundae Scoop, which is seeking a Class A liquor license to add alcohol-infused items to their menu.
Morrow said past administrations have been cautious to approve additional liquor licenses, but said the number has naturally increased as the city has welcomed a growing number of restaurants over the years. He later noted the importance of allowing businesses to apply on a case-by-case basis for additional licenses to encourage them to stay in Grafton.
Under Former Mayor Bobbie Amburg, Marrow said about 12 businesses had liquor licenses. Grafton now has a total of 17 liquor licenses issued, including three approved in recent years. One Class A license formerly held by the Finn Inn is now carried by the Grafton Winery; the other two licenses have gone to Southern Coastal Cuisine and Fountain Hill Steak & Seafood.
City Attorney Will Miller said the Grafton City Code currently limits the number of Class A licenses to 14. However, he noted there’s no state statute preventing council members from voting to extend the number of licenses. While the city’s current license limit has since been amended to 17, it was noted that American Legal Publishing (which hosts the online version of the Grafton City Code) is facing a “backlog” and has not yet made the change online.
The attorney said no business, regardless of liquor license classification, can knowingly allow someone to leave the premises with an open container of alcohol. This does not apply to establishments selling closed containers of alcohol, such as gas stations selling package liquor, which customers are allowed to leave the premises with – but the container cannot be opened until the customer is off the premises (and not in their motor vehicle).
Council members also discussed the importance of keeping patrons with alcohol from wandering off the premises, including into the street or onto public property. Considerations would need to be made for each establishment’s indoor and outdoor seating arrangements and potential for additional safety measures.
These and other concerns and considerations are likely to be raised at the next Grafton City Council meeting on August 19, 2025, when the ordinance is due for final approval. Stay tuned to Riverbender.com for the latest updates.
More details behind the Gogo-May’s liquor license request are available in this related story on Riverbender.com.
