Toby Keith's Still Short of City Liquor Mark

in St. Louis Park is getting closer to hitting the city’s required 50-50 split between alcohol and food sales, but the establishment will likely go back on probation for not quite getting there yet.

The bar and grill was last February, and that probation was in October. With Toby Keith's liquor license up for renewal this month, City Council members said Monday during a study session that they've seen enough progress to grant the license, but not enough to remove the probationary tag. The issue will be up for a formal vote next week.

Toby Keith's was at 32 percent food sales when the problem first arose a year ago, but had that number up near 49 percent at the end of 2011.

"We're here to cooperate," said Toby Keith's general manager Matt Sutton. "You'll never hear an argument from me or my staff."

Since 2000, St. Louis Park has required a 50-50 split between food and liquor sales, which is similar to ordinances in nearby Hopkins, Minnetonka and Edina, the latter of which actually requires establishments earn at least 60 percent of their revenue from food. Council members have said the provision keeps St. Louis Park from having unruly “bar districts.”

The city can enforce fines of up to $2,000—or even suspend an establishment's liquor license—for non-compliance, but to date, the city has not used these more severe measures. Council members Anne Mavity and Sue Sanger both expressed some interest in fining Toby Keith's if it doesn't hit the 50-50 mark, but nothing has been finalized.

The also missed the 50-50 mark—by .2 percent. Owner Phil Weber said it was an accounting "snafu" that resulted when bowling lane food sales did not count toward the overall food mark. Weber said he admittedly didn't pay too much attention to it and would be willing to go on probation if that's what the city decided, though he can submit corrected numbers if he chooses. The bar and grill was not previously on probation, and Weber said he's confident he can meet the 50-50 standard in the future.

What Do Other Cities Do?

Here is a look at how some other metro area cities handle the split between food and liquor sales:

Source: City of St. Louis Park