In the aftermath of its second day-of emergency closure in a year, Pioneer Tap recently had a hearing to determine the state of the bar’s liquor license.  

After a March 15 fight outside the bar spurred the latest emergency closure, Forest Park Mayor Rory Hoskins, who also serves as the village’s liquor commissioner, determined at a March 24 hearing that Pioneer Tap would keep its liquor license, receive a 20-day suspension, and create a corrective action plan — also its second in a year.  

Pioneer Tap, located at 7445 Randolph St., reopened April 4 with a new corrective action plan that will, according to the plan, “achieve neighborhood compliance in coordination with village expectations” and “maintain safe patron entry.”  

The plan includes:  

  • Entry control responsibilities like checking all IDs and bags before patrons enter the bar, denying entry to those who appear visibly intoxicated or who display aggressive behavior, and enforcing a policy of no weapons or outside beverages in the bar 
  • Interior safety monitoring that includes keeping aware of occupancy and congestion inside the bar, watching for signs of verbal conflict, and communicating safety concerns to bartenders and management when needed 
  • Neighborhood compliance measures like patroling around the business to ensure patrons aren’t drinking in their cars or smoking marijuana nearby, discouraging loitering on the sidewalk after the bar closes, monitoring exterior noise levels, and requesting assistance from management or police if exterior conditions exceed safe single-staff monitoring capability 
  • Last call and closing procedures at midnight, an active clear-out phase at 12:30 a.m., and full closure at 1 a.m., which includes making sure no one remains loitering outside the business 

Forest Park Police Chief Ken Gross shared the corrective action plan with the Review and said he asked for two things to be added to it: that Pioneer Tap staff agree to report any incident inside or outside the business, as called for by local ordinances, and pick up litter around the business’ perimeter. Gross also requested that the bar’s broken window on Randolph Street be repaired.  

Gross previously told the Review that the police department will determine the plan’s efficiency by monitoring activity at Pioneer Tap and calls to the police department regarding the bar.  

“Our officers do patrol that area quite a bit, especially if they see it’s a busy bar night,” Gross said. The fight on March 15, he added, wasn’t called in, but seen by a patrolling police officer.  

1st corrective action plan  

After Pioneer Tap closed for a week last April — following a string of noise complaints, fights and open alcohol outside the business — the bar was ordered to develop a corrective action plan to improve in the places where the bar violates village code.  

According to the village code, a liquor license holder is required to “maintain the premises in a peaceable and orderly manner,” including the public area around the business. Any violation of the village’s liquor code, local ordinances or state laws can result in the liquor commissioner revoking an establishment’s liquor license. 

Last year’s corrective action plan included increased security on weekends, playing music at a lower volume, closing windows when noise could be disruptive, making signage to remind patrons they’re in a residential area, and requesting to meet with the village quarterly to discuss issues and be notified if there’s an uptick in disruptive behavior. 

When asked if he thought Pioneer Tap’s correction action plan from last year was fulfilled, Gross previously told the Review, “probably not,” given the March 15 fight outside the establishment.  

“We haven’t had any major issues since last April,” Village Administrator Rachell Entler previously told the Review. “Based on that, they were essentially doing what they were supposed to be doing.”  

According to residents who live around Pioneer Tap, the corrective action plan didn’t seem to be working as of September, when three Forest Parkers attended a council meeting to report continued fighting and excessive noise around the bar. Besides that meeting, Gross said neither police officers nor neighbors have reported to him that there’s been an influx in illegal activity around Pioneer Tap.