Male Grooming Lounge Gets Beer License

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Male Grooming Lounge Gets Beer License

News for Sioux Falls, South Dakota, Minnesota and Iowa

The next time you go to the barber shop, you can get a trim, a shave, and a beer. Tuesday night, a Sioux Falls shop got a malt beverage license.

Customers used to be able to get a glass of champagne or wine while getting a massage or getting their hair done for a wedding. In December, Sioux Falls sent out a letter telling spas and salons that they can't do that without a license. But now that the Chop Shoppe has a license, some city council members aren't sure what type of precedent that will set.

It's called a male grooming lounge...and everything at the Chop Shoppe has a masculine theme - from haircuts to male manicures - and even the drink of choice - beer.

Chop Shoppe Owner Michelle Flanagan says, "I was trying to create the whole garage feeling so I was picturing guys hanging out with themselves and their friends having a beer and getting a hair cut was kinda the whole thing I was envisioning when I did this."



The Chop Shoppe gives one free drink to their customers when they come in, whether it's water, pop, or beer. But when the shop got a phone call from the city in December, they stopped. Last night was the first time the city council had to deal with giving beverage licenses to a business other than a bar or restaurant. While council members approved it unanimously, some had more concerns than others.

Council member Bob Jamison says, "You can't help but wonder if it starts with a barber shop how about a hair stylist? How about anything that offers service to the public? A laundramat?"

Councilman Bob Jamison says while the council approved this first license, if many other businesses follow the the Chop Shoppe's lead this could grow into a bigger issue.

"I can't help but wonder if it isn't going to require sometime down the road some kind of legislation of where is appropriate to have a malt beverage license and or a wine license."

But the Chop Shoppe is excited to have one more service to responsibly give their customers.

Flanagan says, "We're not a bar or anything like that it's fun so they can come in - we're real guyish in here."

While the Chop Shoppe could get a malt beverage license, to get a wine license it would have to serve food and seat at least 50 people.