Kane County commission denies liquor license for Hideaway 64

ST. CHARLES TOWNSHIP – Booze will not be on tap at the former Al Capone's Hideaway and Steakhouse property.

In a nearly unanimous vote, the Kane County Liquor Control Commission on May 18 denied a liquor license request from the Casiello family, who proposed a family-friendly bar and grill restaurant at the former steakhouse, 35W337 Riverside Drive, St. Charles Township.

The item will not proceed to the full County Board for consideration, officials said.

Jeremy Casiello – who didn’t attend the meeting because he knew what the outcome would be – said by phone afterward that his family intends to seek legal action against the county.

“We have Chicago politics going on in Kane County,” he said.

The Casiello family has spent more than a year seeking necessary approvals from the county. It cleared its first hurdle in September, when the County Board approved its zoning. Discussions about its liquor license request began in January.

Casiello, who moved to a residence near the shuttered supper club more than a year ago, described his family's commitment to the site.

"We're here for the long haul," he said. "We're not trying to flip a business."

Dozens of citizens attended the May 18 meeting, which was held near the Hideaway at Valley View Baptist Church.

Many residents shared safety concerns regarding the neighborhood’s narrow, dark and steep roads. They noted the absence of sidewalks and roadside shoulders as well as the nearby school and park that is popular with children.

“A bar is not compatible in a residential community such as ours,” Gene Hemmann said.

Others spoke in support of the liquor license. Among them was T.J. Seiffert, who described many of the safety concerns as “extreme.”

“This neighborhood needs a shot in the arm, not a shovel in the grave,” he said.

Of the five-member commission, only Patrick Kinnally – who also serves as the County Board attorney – voted in favor of the license.

Commissioner Mark Davoust acknowledged that the Casiello family “labored mightily to get this far” but said the health and safety concerns “loom large in my mind.”

“This is the wrong place for it,” he said.

Commissioner Deborah Allan said the traffic factored into her decision to vote no.

“The traffic pattern is just not conducive to making this work,” she said.