Jalapenos liquor license in limbo | Hold My Beer

The Wausau Tavern Report for March 2025

Apr 21, 2025

We think Wausau gets pretty interesting after dark. Here are the significant police calls to Wausau taverns for the last month, plus information about liquor licenses and other bar-related matters.

Jalapenos is expected to come before the city’s Public Health and Safety committee today (Monday) to explain what they’re doing with their liquor license.

The Wausonian after receiving a tip first reported that the Mexican restaurant was closed on a Wednesday when it was scheduled to be open. In speaking with other business owners in the Third Street Lifestyle Center where Jalapenos was located, it appeared the restaurant had been closed for some time.

Why does that matter? Liquor licenses in the city are limited, so there are rules about how businesses with those licenses can operate. That includes staying open (a license is considered abandoned if a business closes and does not reopen within 30 days.

After The Wausonian broke the news, the city received a Tavern report in March indicating police checks had also revealed the restaurant had been closed.

That led to Jalapenos’s ownership being called in front of the city’s Public Health and Safety Committee.

According to a memo from Deputy Clerk Kody Hart, city staff had a conversation with a representative from Jalapenos in February saying he wasn’t sure if the restaurant would open again or not. Property management later told the deputy clerk it would in fact be closing. Later management told the city a new owner was potentially in the works for Jalapenos, but city staff explained that the current owner would have to sign a conditional surrender agreement.

Jalapenos staff went quiet after that, not responding to city staff inquiries.

The city’s Public Health and Safety Committee will meet tonight to further discuss the matter and decide what happens next.

Tavern report

Don’t mess with her: Police responded at 1:37 am March 23 for a report of a fight at Loppnow’s. Police say a man and a woman got into a fight - the man hit the woman and the woman smashed a glass over the man’s head. Police through the help of witnesses at the bar were able to locate the man in question, who was charged with disorderly conduct, felony bail jumping and violating probation. Police were unable to find the woman, according to the report.

No fight, just words: Police responded at 10:09 pm March 17 to the Cop Shoppe Pub for a report of a fight. When officers arrived, they learned it was just a verbal argument, so no action was taken.

Refusing to leave, except not really: Police responded at 12:35 am March 19 to Cop Shoppe Pub to a report of a patron who wouldn’t leave. When police arrived, he appeared to have changed his mind because he was gone.

I’ll walk it off: Police responded at 2:51 am March 30 to Cop Shoppe Pub for a report of a fight in the parking lot after bar close. When police arrived, they found a guy who’d been punched in the face. The man refused to cooperate, said he didn’t want to press charges and did not want any medical attention.

Stalk and crash: Police responded at 10:59 pm March 15 to M&R Station for a report of a man who was causing a disturbance and yelling at a bartender. After police looked into it, the man was issued a stalking warning letter. Police also spoke to the man about a crash investigation, though police didn’t report anything more on that.

Safe spaces, jail spaces: Police responded at 3:56 pm (date unknown) to M&R Station for a report of a man making comments that made someone uncomfortable. Police ultimately arrested him for being in the bar against the terms of his probation.

Turn that karaoke down!: Police responded at 11:26 pm March 26 to Aftershock Bar and Grill after receiving a noise complaint about the establishment’s karaoke night. The officer heard loud karaoke music upon arrival and informed the bartender about the complaint. Aftershock had been the subject of a longer writeup by Wausau Police about noise complaints, though officers at the time found the vast majority of them unfounded. The owner told police she thinks two neighbors were taking turns calling in complaints to damage her business. She’d taken numerous steps to limit noise at the bar, she told police.

Double trouble: Police responded at 12:18 pm March 15 to Callon Street Pub for a report of a man drinking at the bar against conditions of his bond. Worse, officers found, he was also speaking to someone whom he was ordered by a judge not to have contact with. Police arrested him for bail jumping.

You can’t kick me out like that!: Police responded at 11:02 pm March 15 for a report of a man who was escorted out of Matt’s 101 Pub. The man complained to police, who explained to him that, basically, yeah the owner can kick you out.

Noisy, neighbor?: Police in March received four noise complaints about Matt’s 101 Pub from a caller who wouldn’t identify themself. Police had some suspicion that it was a tenant of the building but they are not sure. No action taken.

Demerit points

There were no demerit points issued in March, and the 100 points assessed to Matt’s 101 Pub in last month’s report were removed because the owner was very cooperative. Police Chief Matt Barnes explained to The Wausonian for our last Hold My Beer feature that the points would be removed.

Here are the current demerit points on the books:

50: Newch’s Eatery, 4 Fathers Pub, Hiawatha Restaurant and Lounge

25: Cop Shoppe Pub, Intermission, Labor Temple