Rochelle Council to Consider Lowering Age Requirement for Alcohol Service Waitstaff

ROCHELLE — The Rochelle City Council will consider an ordinance at its Monday night meeting that would lower the minimum age for waitstaff serving alcoholic beverages from 19 to 18 years old. City officials say the proposed change would align the city’s liquor code with Illinois law, which allows individuals 18 and older to serve alcohol as waitstaff while still prohibiting bartending, mixing, pouring and preparing alcoholic drinks. Under the proposal, employees 18 and older would be allowed to serve and deliver alcoholic beverages to customers, while all alcohol preparation duties would remain restricted to employees 21 and older.