It’s a comment you occasionally hear around town or spot on local social media pages: “Why does Batavia have so many liquor stores?” It’s easy to understand how this perception takes root when you frequently drive past familiar signage on Wilson Street or Mill Street. However, when we step back and look at the data across our neighboring Fox Valley communities, the reality tells a different story.
Let’s take a look at the hard numbers comparing our retail landscape to Geneva, North Aurora, and St. Charles:
| City | Active Liquor Licenses | Dedicated Liquor Stores | Avg. Distance Between Stores |
| Batavia | 74 | 5 | 3.1 Miles |
| Geneva | 114 | 4 | 2.2 Miles |
| North Aurora | 44 | 5 | 1.9 Miles |
| St. Charles | 111 | 3 | 3.0 Miles |
As the table shows, the idea that Batavia is oversaturated with liquor stores is due to optics rather than a statistical reality. Here is what the data reveals about our community:
- Similar Numbers: With exactly five dedicated retail liquor stores, Batavia is similar to Geneva. In fact, despite having a smaller population, North Aurora actually has as many dedicated stores (five) as we do.
- The Visibility Factor and Downtown Optics: If we don’t have the most stores, why does it feel like we do? The answer lies in geography. Batavia’s liquor stores have the highest average distance between them (3.1 miles). Because they are spread out across different neighborhoods rather than clustered together, residents are simply more likely to drive past one during routine, cross-town errands. This geographic distribution increases their daily visibility, creating the illusion of abundance.
On top of this, we also have two liquor stores within a block of each other downtown, each of which have “liquor” and “smoke” right on the outside of the store. It doesn’t help that they’re in the middle of our downtown, which we’re currently in the midst of investing in. The optics are understandably going to create the impression that we’re oversaturated.
- A Smaller Overall Footprint: It is also crucial to look at the total number of active liquor licenses, which includes restaurants, bars, and grocery stores. In this category, Batavia’s overall alcohol footprint is significantly smaller than our northern neighbors. St. Charles and Geneva both boast well over 110 active licenses to support their large downtown dining and entertainment districts, while Batavia operates with a much more conservative 74.
Ultimately, the data shows that Batavia’s retail landscape is in line with the rest of the Fox Valley region. However, the optics have changed, particularly with two stores now operating in our downtown corridor displaying prominent ‘liquor’ and ‘smoke’ signage. To remediate this visual impact, it’s worth reviewing our current commercial signage ordinances and exercising greater selectivity when reviewing future liquor license applications.
It’s important to view this through a long-term economic lens. National data shows a sustained, nationwide decrease in overall alcohol consumption. Recent polling indicates that the percentage of Americans who drink has fallen to historic lows, largely driven by younger generations embracing ‘sober curiosity’ and non-alcoholic options.
As overall sales volumes continue to decline, the retail alcohol sector is facing inevitable consolidation. From a purely economic standpoint, it is highly unlikely that our local market can support an over-saturation of these specific retailers long-term.
Liquor License Lookup: https://ilccportal.illinois.gov/s/license-lookup
Author: Jim Fahrenbach
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