NAMPA — Patrons sit around the table at Slick’s Bar nursing their drinks, a typical sight for a Tuesday afternoon.
The inside is compact, with a group of several men easily filling the bar. Some came from working their blue-collar jobs, grabbing drinks to unwind after a long day.
Dive bars like Slick’s will not be growing in numbers in Nampa due to a recent city ordinance. Passed on Aug. 5 by Nampa City Council, the ordinance restricts the granting of new liquor licenses to businesses that are connected to a restaurant.
“I will say, candidly, that this was my recommendation to bring forward,” Mayor Debbie Kling said at the meeting.
With the city down to 10 remaining unused liquor licenses, Kling said that she wanted to reserve them for restaurants.
“Right now, there are so many bars downtown, but there are few restaurants,” Kling said at the meeting.
The ordinance only applies to new license applications and would allow priorly established bars to renew licenses.
GETTING A LICENSECapt. Rocky Gripton, bureau chief of the Idaho State Police Alcohol Beverage Control, explained that Idaho’s alcohol licensing distinguishes between liquor licenses and beer and wine licenses.