This Burr Ridge Bar Won't Kick Out Patrons Before New Year

BURR RIDGE, IL — It looks like patrons at Burr Ridge's Are We Live lounge will be able to ring in the New Year there after all.

Under the usual terms of its license, all customers would have been required to be out of the County Line Square establishment by midnight. It opened a few months ago.

At this week's Village Board meeting, Trustee Tony Schiappa, who also serves as the liquor commissioner, said he was asked whether Are We Live could stay open an extra hour. He said he wanted to poll his colleagues to see whether this would be fine.

Every other bar, he said, can stay open until 2 a.m., with Are We Live as the only one with the earlier time.

Trustee Anita Mital said the request made sense for people who want to celebrate New Year's. And Trustee Joe Snyder said he had no problem with giving the onetime exception.

Trustee Russell Smith said he was concerned if there would be live music at the lounge, to which Schiappa responded that he had received no such request.

Despite the word "live" in the lounge's name, its owner, Filippo "Gigi" Rovito, promised during public hearings earlier this year that it would play piped-in music.

The hearings for Are We Live were particularly contentious. Neighbors complained about music coming from existing County Line Square bars, including County Wine Merchant and Capri Ristorante, owned by Rovito.

Residents also expressed concerns about parking issues at County Line Square. As a result of the objections, the village imposed the earlier closing time on Are We Live.

At this week's board meeting, Mayor Gary Grasso determined a consensus existed among trustees for granting Are We Live's request.

In an email, Patch asked village officials about whether a onetime exception to the closing time could be made administratively without a formal board vote.

Through Village Administrator Evan Walter, Schiappa released a statement in response: "I communicated to my fellow Trustees that Are We Live is the only restaurant in the Village with a 12:00 a.m. end time for serving alcohol. I was asked by the owner for one additional hour for one evening (New Year’s Eve) and polled my fellow Trustees to ask if they were comfortable with granting one additional hour for one evening. There was no vocal opposition amongst the Trustees."

Former Trustee Zach Mottl has long maintained that the village under Grasso cuts breaks for Rovito's businesses that others do not get. Grasso has served as Rovito's lawyer in various situations over the years. And a plate at Capri Ristorante is named in Grasso's honor.