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 LICENSE
Capt. 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.
“Idaho’s extremely strict with the liquor licenses — not so much with the beer-wine,” Gripton said. “Statute allows for not only the state, but also county law enforcement, to enforce these laws and to also impose monetary penalties, as well as license suspensions for violations.”
Aside from the obvious, beer and wine licenses also allow pre-mixed cocktails and low-proof spirits. This license is easier to obtain.
“Our laws are very restrictive,” Gripton said. “It’s hard to get a liquor license. They’re controlled and they’re controlled by population.”
Boise has more liquor licenses than Nampa due to its larger population. At the same time, Boise’s licenses have been in high demand.
Gripton explained that licenses can be made available in Idaho directly from local government, typically at $750 for a liquor license and $50 for a beer and wine license, not accounting for annual renewal fees. This isn’t the case in Boise, where licenses are in short supply.
“So for $800, you can have a liquor, beer and wine license in the city of Nampa,” he said. “Where in the city of Boise, if you wanted to buy a license, it could cost you several thousands of dollars.”
Idaho law grants two liquor licenses to each city and an additional license for every 1,500 residents. Beer and wine licenses do not have a similar limit.
Boise’s population, according to the 2020 U.S. Census, equates to approximately 159 liquor licenses. While this may sound like a lot, liquor licenses have become a hot commodity.
With zero licenses available from the city, liquor licenses can only be obtained from private parties. This has allowed businesses to sell licenses at high prices.
Boise liquor licenses sold in 2024 by Arthur Berry and Company, a private brokerage, have gone for $295,000.
This trend may be curtailed in the future following the passage of Senate Bill 1120 , which bans future liquor licenses from being sold, leased or transferred.
Nampa currently has 77 liquor licenses.
Since January, 63 Nampa businesses have renewed their liquor licenses and four new licenses have been granted, according to Alcohol Beverage Control Division records.
While ISP’s Alcohol Beverage Control oversees enforcement on a state level, further restrictions are up to individual cities.
A FAMILY-FRIENDLY NAMPA
The thought behind Nampa’s restrictive ordinance goes back to when Kling used to work in Boise.
“I remember just the discussion many years ago about the fact that there were no liquor licenses available (in Boise), and there was a waiting list,” Kling told the Idaho Press earlier this week. “(Now), looking at our licenses and realizing that we were down to 10, one of the things that we want to do is incentivize restaurants.”
Slick’s Bar sits on Karcher Road, identifiable by its logo: a red devil smoking a cigar. Owner Sheila Sartorius said that — from proposal, to voting, to enforcement — local bar owners were not a part of any of the city council’s discussions. She believes that many are still unaware of the potential consequences of the ordinance.
“I think it’s absolutely absurd that they didn’t invite existing liquor license holders to the table to find out,” Sartorius said.
Because of the ordinance, if Sartorius wanted to open another standalone bar, she couldn’t.
Kling said that she did not see the need to include current liquor license holders in conversations about the ordinance since it would only impact future applications; Sartorius was concerned that licenses that are not renewed would automatically be reserved for restaurants.
Midday on Thursday, Sartorius met with Kling to discuss her concerns. Kling said that the city will look at the ordinance to ensure that non-renewed licenses do not fall under the restaurant requirement. Kling said she intends to make space for restaurants seeking licenses, not push bars out.
“If we could end the quota (of one license per 1,500 residents), all of this goes away,” Sartorius wrote in a text. “(Kling and I) are going to meet up at a later date to ensure that existing bar licenses remain for bars only.”
Kling has had conversations with young Nampa residents about what they want to see in the community. Many wanted a place they could go to with friends or with their families.
“We’ve got some amazing new, great locations, like The Syringa (Cocktails and Coffee) and The 112, that are remodeled and they’re beautiful,” Kling said. “But, they’re over 21. Our young people don’t have a place to go.”
The hope is to draw in more sit-down restaurants, rather than bars or fast food spots.
“I wanted to ensure that our restaurants have the opportunity to apply for a liquor license as they come into our community,” Kling said.
In the future, the ordinance could be repealed by the Nampa City Council as the city’s needs continue to change.
CITY ISSUE OR STATE ISSUE?
While there is no doubt that Nampa is seeing rapid growth, Sartorius questioned the need to conserve licenses.
“There’s 10 liquor licenses that nobody’s picking up,” Sartorius said.
In early 2020 , businesses were using 51 of Nampa’s 65 licenses, leaving 14 unused. Four years later, 67 of Nampa’s 77 licenses are in use, with 10 unused.
Looking at the motivation behind the ordinance, Sartorius’ strongest sentiment was that the decision shouldn’t be up to the city.
“Government’s place isn’t to say I can’t have a private business because (the city) thinks I shouldn’t open up a business,” she said.
While Slick’s is a dive bar, it is a family business as well. Sartorius said four members of her family currently work at the bar. Over the past decade, Slick’s has hosted seven funerals for dedicated bar patrons.
“This is a family bar, and family bars become family for people who don’t have family — that’s what they’re missing,” Sartorius said. “This isn’t a club, it’s a bar, and that’s what dive bars are for.”
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