Casper City Council Gives Initial Nod to Two Bar & Grill Liquor Licenses

Casper City Council on Tuesday initially agreed to set aside two liquor licenses for a restaurant and a liquor store to be built on the city’s west side.

The council made the tentative decision during its pre-meeting before its regular meeting to grant the Johnson Restaurant Group, Inc.’s request to set aside one bar and grill license for a Fuzzy’s Taco Shop and set another aside for the FireRock Steakhouse, according to a letter from company president John Johnson to the council.

Council will need to formally approve the requests.

The new businesses would employ about 50 people, Johnson wrote.

The FireRock Hospitality Group, LLC, retail liquor license would be transferred to Mesa Liquor, LLC.

The Johnson Restaurant Group owns nd operatesf FireRock Steakhouse, Johnny J's, Old Chicago, CY Discount Liquor and 2nd Street Liquor & Wine.

Johnson said his company intends to have both business open within 18 months. If the company has not used one or both licenses by then it ask that they be released.

According to a memo from city staff to City Manager Carter Napier, the city received six additional bar and grill licenses, bringing the total to 14. Two of those had been awarded but the recipient of one returned his license to the city because his project is no longer available.

Nine licenses are now being used by restaurants, and five are available.