GILLETTE, Wyo. — A local business considered to be a unique blend of café and car care won’t be adding liquor to its offerings.
JRP Enterprises, doing business as Expresso Lube, applied for and was denied a bar and grill liquor license with the City of Gillette. The City Council denied the license application at its Dec. 3 meeting, a month after the request stalled following a public hearing.
Multiple councilmembers, including Mayor Shay Lundvall, expressed concerns about having an oil change business offer liquor, despite the business also operating as a café. Additional concerns involved the proximity to schools in the area and that fact that the business did not meet the statutory requirements of having 60% of its total revenue coming from food sales.
Expresso Lube, which has been operating in Gillette since 2010, offers customers a full kitchen and espresso bar alongside its automotive services. Owner Josh Peterson, who purchased the business in 2023, believes a liquor license will allow them to expand their menu and better serve the community.
Peterson said he was trying to create more income so he could offer health insurance to his oil change crew and better pay for other positions in the business.
At the Nov. 5 City Council meeting, consideration of the license was postponed as Councilmembers Billy Montgomery and Tricia Simonson raised concerns about whether Expresso Lube met the requirements of a bar and grill license under Wyoming state law. The regulations stipulate that 60% of the establishment’s revenue must come from food or entertainment, with no more than 40% deriving from alcohol sales.
City Attorney Sean Brown confirmed the requirement, noting that while demonstrating this is straightforward for existing businesses renewing their licenses, it presents a challenge for first-time applicants.
Peterson and his bookkeeper assured the council they have meticulously tracked food sales and could readily provide the necessary figures. Discussion arose regarding whether the oil change services provided by Expresso Lube could be classified as “entertainment” under the state statute.
On Tuesday, there was discussion about an option for Peterson to return with a new business that could be contained in the same building as Expresso Lube and whether the council could condition the license on the business selling alcohol only when the oil change business was closed. Brown said the city could place conditions on the license.
