Heidi and Dean Um, pictured left to right, appear Thursday, Oct. 2, before the Kosciusko County Alcohol Tobacco Commission for the transfer of the beer, wine and liquor package store license for Milford Party Pack, 314 N. Higbee St., Milford. The license transfer was approved. Photo by David Slone, Times-Union.

By David Slone
Times-Union

WARSAW — Due to a lack of a quorum, the Kosciusko County Alcohol Tobacco Commission couldn’t hear any license renewals with violations Thursday, Oct. 2, including ones for Jimmy’s Restaurant and Nightshift, both in North Webster.

They were tabled to the board’s 1 p.m. Nov. 6 meeting in the old courtroom of the county courthouse.

A representative for Jimmy’s Restaurant, 104 W. Himes St., North Webster, was in attendance at Thursday’s meeting after no one appeared at the August and September meetings. Lagos Steakhouse LLC, doing business as Jimmy’s Restaurant, is seeking the renewal of their beer, wine and liquor 210-1 restaurant license, but has a violation from June 2024. Excise Officer April Tackett told the representative since the board didn’t have a quorum, their license renewal would be heard at the November meeting, and the representative did not have to stay for the remainder of the meeting.

Nightshift of North Webster Inc., doing business as Stimmelators Gentlemen’s Club, 114 E. Washington St., North Webster, had their beer, wine and liquor restaurant (210) license up for renewal but has a violation from June 2024. Tackett asked the representative there if they were still doing business as Stimmelators. He said, “Nightshift,” but both names are listed in the official paperwork. Tackett told him that, unfortunately, with no quorum they couldn’t hear the violation, so their license also was tabled to the November meeting. She said it was not common for this county’s Alcohol Tobacco Commission not to have a quorum, so they expected one next month.

The commission was able to approve three renewals without violations and two transfers as they had no remonstrators. If the transfers would have had remonstrators, they would have been tabled to the commission’s November meeting.

The first transfer request was for a beer, wine and liquor package store license for H & D Holding LLC, doing business as Milford Party Pack, 314 N. Higbee St., Milford. Co-owners Dean and Heidi Um were present. Asked to explain what was going on with the permit, Heidi replied, “We did a land contract and we just finally got the loan and was able to pay her off. Now we’re transferring.”

She said they’ve already been managing the liquor store for about the last six years. In those six years, Heidi said they only had one violation, which was for not asking for ID from a customer, and was a few years ago. They haven’t been back before the board since then, and Dean said they changed their procedures quickly after that. The commission accepted the transfer. Dean asked if they could transfer the tobacco license as well, and Tackett said no.

“Tobaccos do not transfer at all. So, you and the old owner will have to relinquish one to get the other one,” Tackett said, noting the state won’t give them a second tobacco license at the same address at the same time. Heidi said they have until 2028 when the current tobacco license they’re working under expires.

The other transfer request was for a beer and wine retailer restaurant license for JA4K LLC, doing business as The River Coffeehouse, 1000 Park Ave., Winona Lake.

Amanda Meerzo, owner of the coffee shop, explained, “So we purchased that business from the old owners and it came with this permit, so we were just told we needed to transfer it. We don’t really plan to, immediately, serve anything, we just knew we had a deadline to get it into our name.”

There were no remonstrators against the transfer of ownership.

Tackett advised Meerzo that, if they should start offering alcohol, “At the order counter … when you choose to utilize this permit, you cannot serve alcoholic beverages across a counter. They can order it, pay for it, whatever, but an employee will have to bring it to them.”

“Like out the doors and hand it to them, yes,” Meerzo said, adding that she was aware of that. Tackett made the motion to approve the transfer, commission member Dan Woods seconded it and it was approved 2-0.

Members Alan Alderfer and Mike Hall were absent.

The county’s Alcohol Tobacco Commission is just a recommending board to the state commission, who has final approval on all actions. They meet on the first and third Tuesday of the month.

Renewals without any violations over the past year approved included:

• Stichter Adventures LLC, doing business as The Bowling Alley, 1535 N. Detroit St., Warsaw, beer, wine and liquor restaurant (210-1) license.

• Falling Rabbit LLC, 105 E. Center St., Warsaw, beer, wine and liquor riverfront and lakefront license.

• Owens Family Farm LLC, doing business as Owens Fresh Meat Market, 6287 SR 15, Leesburg, beer and wine dealer grocery store license.