SFGAM to sell Hard Liquor this year

[Bob O]

What are your thoughts on this????


Six Flags gets OK for more alcohol

Gurnee clears way, but some are wary

By Ralph Zahorik
Special to the Tribune
Published April 5, 2007

Six Flags Great America plans to expand sales of hard liquor this summer, and some Gurnee officials say that will send the wrong message.

The Gurnee Village Board voted 4-2 this week to issue five liquor licenses to the theme park. Six Flags will sell pre-mixed tropical alcoholic drinks, such as margaritas, pina coladas and mai tais, at five new spots in the park. Six Flags already serves beer and wine at several locations and mixed drinks at one spot in its water park, Hurricane Harbor.

Dissenting trustees and Mayor Kristina Kovarik, who did not vote, said they were worried about drunken drivers and about serving alcohol at an amusement park that draws tens of thousands of children and teenagers.

Kovarik said she met with Six Flags officials last week and was told that ways to make the park more "family friendly" were being explored.

"I was quite surprised to see hard liquor is part of the strategy of creating a family-friendly environment," she said Monday.

Teenagers make up a big portion of Six Flags' clientele, and "I don't like the message it's sending," Kovarik said.

James Taylor, a Six Flags spokesman, said: "We are definitely a family destination, and as with any family, you have responsible adults who can make decisions. We're not doing anything different from what other places do. There are many public venues, sports venues, Disney World, Universal, all family venues, that sell alcohol."

The new liquor licenses are for Hurricane Harbor, the Crazy Buffalo Saloon in Southwest Territory, Pizza Luigi, the Snowshoe Tap House and a picnic grove, said Joe Costa, director of in-park services.

Trustee Lyle Foster, who with Greg Garner voted against issuing the licenses, raised the possibility of putting drunken drivers on the roads.

"A majority of people who visit Six Flags are going back on the tollways and [U.S. Highway] 41," Foster said.

The picnic grove and the Crazy Buffalo Saloon are rented to groups for private outings and special events, and there are requests for mixed drinks up to 10 times a year, Costa said.

"We think this is a better opportunity to serve our guests," he said.

Servers will be limited to selling two drinks per customer, Costa said. The park has up to 50 security personnel, and if anyone is seen giving a drink to someone underage, "we'll take steps to deal with it," he said.

Six Flags will pay $1,250 a year for each of six liquor licenses it holds, said James Hayner, village administrator.



Copyright © 2007, Chicago Tribune

[DejaVu2001]

"The picnic grove and the Crazy Buffalo Saloon are rented to groups for private outings and special events, and there are requests for mixed drinks up to 10 times a year, Costa said."

That caught my attention. Crazy Buffalo rented to groups for private outings? Hopefully it will still be open to GP when no events are taking place.

[RBull4life]

Cool!!

Now if I don't want to spend the $6.50 for a beer, I can spend probably $8.00 for a mixed drink.

Most rational grown ups are not coming to Great America to get hammered. Hell if they wanted to, they could just sit in the parking lot and get slushed, and then go back into the park, ride some rides, and then puke their brains out.

I don't see a major problem with this.

[UWW-10]

Many people don't even realize that GAm sold alcohol to begin with and those that did, as Rbull4life stated, don't go to the park to get drunk. Supposedly, alcohol bought at the park is not supposed to leave the area it was purchased and that is a slight issue as I do see some people carry it around throughout the midways.

[chevyman34]

I just like that the MAYOR of all people, didnt vote and yet has the nuts to say she disagreed with the ruling. Does she think that if she voted, it woulda been a 4-3 vote and up for a revote? hello.

[FRD714]

I just heard this on B96 this morning. They were like "Maybe this will help attendance." And something about it not being family friendly. They were actually pretty knowledgeable about what has been going on this winter with Six Flags. I was surprised.

[Viper 06]

B96 sponsors terror twister and has frequent broadcasts from Southwest Territory and Hurricane Harbor, so they are probably in contact with the park quite a bit...not that I know how any of that works, just a guess.

Anyway, Six Flags already sold hard liquor at Saltwater Sal's and Treasure chest I beleive, so I don't really see an issue...but it definetely could become a problem during Fright Fest when their clinetele is of a young adult/college student crowd.

[Galvan]

Who cares? As long as your 21 years of age plus and not already intoxicated or going to drive theres no issue.

[rb1]

Exactlly^ Besides I think park employees would not be dumb enough to forget to check IDs when selling liquors and selling liquors means more profit for the park from adults who wants to buy drinks.

[Carlo]

I do not think there will be any problems. I believe why they are expanding it is because the bar in Hurricane Harbor is very poplar. So they are adding more locations throughout the park.

[guitarhero119]

Personally I don't think it will be a problem, I just think its a strange move, especially during this great effort to establish a more family friendly park.

[RBull4life]

^ Well, I am part of a family, and I will probably knock down at few margaritas during the course of the season.

[Trailblazer Tony]

Well, with most of these young parents stuck in the Wiggles World section for half the day this year, I think selling alcohal might be a good idea.

Seriously though, I don't think it'll be a big deal, other amusement parks have done this for years and have never had any trouble.

[FRD714]

There's nothing like having a drink and then takin a ride on Bull.

[FParker185]

wonder if they will sell sport quarts of hard liquor

sign me up

[demon boy]

While i dont think its a big deal, i just dont see where it's coming from. Shaprio wanted to direct the park back to families and i dont see how selling hard liquor will help that cause. All this will do is give rowdy college kids an extra excuse to come to the park and f*** around and get drunk. I dont even know how they'll be able to control it! Becuase if people were smart (this will be an oxymoron so try to follow this) they will bounce around around the park getting more drinks so they can never tell how much they've had! I just dont see the logic behind the whole thing and i'm completely aginst it. I think in the end it will give the park a bad reputation and make that park have a turn for the worse.

However, this could just be a trial like back in 04 or 05, i forget, when they did AE backwards. That went down the tubes and they got rid of it. I'm hoping they'll get rid of this too.

If i were a parent, i wouldnt want that kind of enviornment for my kids.

[Carlo]

Also note all the places they said that they are selling it are the same places that already sold beer. Expect for Picnic Grove, everyone else sold beer already. All it really doing is giving Adults more options. At the end I do not think they will do very well in selling because many people will not know they even sell it and what sells the overprice drinks is the atmosphere that it is in. That’s why Hurricane Harbor does such good in sales because people like the Beach like Feel while they sip down a drink.

[LAFFfan4lyfe]

I agree with others who've said they don't think there will be problems. People just need to know their limits. I don't think people go there just to get drunk. Maybe some have a few drinks, like my father, but it's not their mission to get drunk there. You go there to ride the rides, and enjoy the place. If these places where they'll sell the hard liquor are already selling beer, and some places even wine, then I don't get what the big deal is. I don't really worry about the college kids either. Most of them are there to ride the coasters anyways. I don't think it will be a problem.

[Viper 06]

While i dont think its a big deal, i just dont see where it's coming from. Shaprio wanted to direct the park back to families and i dont see how selling hard liquor will help that cause.

Well...yes, catering to families was part of the business plan to turn the company around back to being profitable...and if this makes any money it seems to fit perfectly fine into a business plan to me.

[Bob O]

I also dont think the park will have any major problems with this.
I havent seen intoxicated people running around in the past and im sure the cost will prohibt people from buying numerous drinks. As already stated someone could more easily drink alot in the parking lot before coming into the park, though hopefully security would keep them out.

If handled correctly I dont see this ruining a day at the park for people with families..

[coastercrazy]

To everyone who keeps saying that this goes against the family friendly aditude of the park i disagree. The adults are part of the family too. Six flags is trying to appeal to every one and this adds one more demographic.

[zjohn1988]

Many people don't even realize that GAm sold alcohol to begin with and those that did, as Rbull4life stated, don't go to the park to get drunk.

Thats Busch Gardens

[Trailblazer Tony]

While i dont think its a big deal, i just dont see where it's coming from. Shaprio wanted to direct the park back to families and i dont see how selling hard liquor will help that cause. All this will do is give rowdy college kids an extra excuse to come to the park and f*** around and get drunk. I dont even know how they'll be able to control it! Becuase if people were smart (this will be an oxymoron so try to follow this) they will bounce around around the park getting more drinks so they can never tell how much they've had! I just dont see the logic behind the whole thing and i'm completely aginst it. I think in the end it will give the park a bad reputation and make that park have a turn for the worse.

However, this could just be a trial like back in 04 or 05, i forget, when they did AE backwards. That went down the tubes and they got rid of it. I'm hoping they'll get rid of this too.

If i were a parent, i wouldnt want that kind of enviornment for my kids.

Most college kids get that drunk phase out of the way BEFORE they are 21, so I wouldn't worry about that age group, and we all know adults (or should I say MOST adults) will have some kind of respect towards the atmosphere not to drink too much. Plus, with general admission being pretty pricy, I doubt anyone in the park is NOT there for roller coasters or family obligations.

[!)EJAVU-FAN!]

At first I worried about this, but until I read the whole story I was "won" over with the thought. Since there's guards watching, and only serving the two "shots" I do not fear any higher in getting into a car crash, than I do going to the park without "Fruit-Headz" zooming out.

[Viper 06]

They've always had the two-drink rule. But that is incredibly easy to get around.