MANKATO — Even as Mankato grows in geographic size and population, the number of places where people can buy alcohol is getting a bit smaller.
The Mankato City Council on Monday night approved 75 liquor licenses (with one more pending) — for businesses ranging from convenience stores to bars to liquor stores Monday night. That’s down from 78 a year ago and 83 in 2024.
The license that’s pending is for Los Dos Primos, which is facing a seven-day liquor license suspension following multiple alcohol infractions including a night in 2025 when police found dozens of minors drinking in the east-side Mexican restaurant. The amount of time that alcohol would be off the menu at Los Dos Primos looked to be much longer as recently as last week because the owners had not applied for a new license for the upcoming licensing year — which begins on May 1.
City Clerk Renae Kopischke said Los Dos Primos has now applied for a license renewal, although it must pay a $100 weekly late fee for missing the March 2 deadline for applying and will face a separate council vote on its annual license at an upcoming meeting in April.
Another former drinking establishment disappeared in December when the council permanently revoked the liquor license for The 507, a bar on South Front Street that was alleged to have numerous violations including serving underage patrons. The downtown Hy-Vee store is also not on the list for renewal of its 3.2 beer license, although that store had no reported infractions of city or state alcohol rules.
The remaining 75 applicants passed background checks of each business’s owner, manager and local contacts.
Seven of the 75 establishments were allowed to renew licenses despite violations. Under the city’s three-strike system of regulating alcohol sellers, financial penalties and training requirements result from the first two violations of alcohol-related regulations within a 365-day window. Typically, it takes three or more strikes for the ramifications to escalate to a license suspension or revocation.
“In 2025, alcohol compliance checks were completed with four failures (Courtyard Mankato, Maverick’s Sports Grill, Ten20 Tavern and Tokyo Sushi & Hibachi) occurring based on 76 checks,” according to a summary provided to the council. “Each establishment received a strike against their license and a $500 civil penalty. Complimentary training by Mankato Public Safety was offered to all establishments that failed the compliance check. Recently, follow-up checks were completed for the establishments that previously failed, and thus needed the required six-month recheck, and all the establishments passed.”
The compliance checks involve underage patrons supervised by police who attempt to purchase alcohol. The minors present an ID, if asked by the establishment, that accurately shows they are under the age of 21.
In addition to the annual checks, police periodically enter bars at other times of the year to look for signs of illegal activity. Three establishments received strikes in 2025 as a result of those police patrols, not counting the now-defunct 507.
The Underground received one strike for an unspecified violation on Aug. 28 and was forced to pay a $500 penalty. JD’s Hideway received two strikes for violations on Sept. 18 and Oct. 4, resulting in a combined penalty of $1,500 and a mandatory “problem-solving conference” with police.
Los Dos Primos had three strikes, with two resulting from a May 1 incident when 59 customers were cited for underage consumption of alcohol. Those violations prompted one strike with the second stemming from reports by restaurant staff that they had not been properly trained in identifying underage drinkers as required by city regulations. In December, the restaurant allegedly violated state liquor-purchasing laws, which brought a third strike.
The combined ramifications were $1,500 in municipal penalties, a $500 state penalty, another $2,000 penalty assessed by the council Monday night and the recommended seven-day suspension of alcohol sales.
Council member Michael Laven was willing to go further, imposing what might have been a death penalty for an establishment that strongly highlights its margaritas and other drinks in its marketing.
“I’m perfectly OK revoking the license,” Laven said. “… I think this business is making decisions that aren’t in the interests of this community.”
The three other council members present at Monday’s meeting — Mayor Najwa Massad and Council members Dennis Dieken and Jenn Melby-Kelley — did not voice support for revocation, preferring instead to adopt the staff-recommended seven-day suspension with revocation occurring only if another violation occurs before May 1.
With three members of the seven-member council absent from the meeting, the votes of Massad, Dieken and Melby-Kelley would have been one short of the majority needed to suspend the liquor license. Laven said he would defer to the wishes of his colleagues so that at least the $2,000 fine and week-long suspension would be imposed.
No representatives of Los Dos Primos stepped forward when Massad asked if the establishment wanted to answer questions or make a statement.
Kopischke said the timing of the seven-day suspension has not yet been decided.