I The West Wendover City council approved a liquor license for the Speedway Station BBQ Restaurant in a unanimous vote Tuesday.
Earlier this year the council denied liquor license to owner Jeff Dunham because of two misdemeanor convictions of more than a decade ago.
Carolyn Santillanez. Dunham girlfriend re-applied for the liquor license in her own name and was granted it.
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“I believed that Mr. Dunham deserved a second chance,” said Councilwoman Jasie Holm. Holm along with Izzy Gutierrez voted for Dunham to serve liquor at his newly open barbecue restaurant. Holm and Gutierrez were out numbered by Councilmen John Hansen, Jerry Andersen and Nick Flores.
The council were evidently swayed by a background check by West Wendover Police Chief Burdel Welsh.
According to Councilwoman Holm, Dunham had an arrest for marijuana possession and one arrest for DUI.
“They were both over 10 years ago,” Holm said. “Mr. Dunham has been in Wendover since 2002. He has never been arrested in Wendover and he has held responsible positions in the local casino industry. I really don’t understand why they denied him a license.”
Dunham had been waiting for the city approval of his liquor license before he opened officially.
“We’ll be open tomorrow at Noon till 9pm and will run thru Sunday,” he said a month ago. “We will stay with the 4 day schedule until our liquor license is approved, then we’ll be open 7 days a week.
We feature many BBQ and Smoker specialties, Pulled Pork and Ribs, Grilled Chicken, Flank Steak and Smoked Turkey Breast. Sides this weekend are Bacon Cheesy Mac, Au Gratin Potatoes, baked beans and our homemade Cornbread.
Our menu will change often, think of it as a summer cookout, served take out style…I’ve spent most of my adult life in computer sales/consulting and the food and beverage industry. I’ve always enjoyed playing poker, so I moved to West Wendover in 2002 to pursue a career in the casino business.
“I took a position as a restaurant supervisor at the Rainbow and spent the next year and a half working my way into the poker room.” Dunham wrote in a previous email from last year. “ I’ve spent the last decade since working as a dealer and supervisor at the Rainbow, Montego Bay and Wendover Nugget while pursuing many travel opportunities in the business, working for Card Player Cruises, Ante Up Magazine, and at WSOP and WPT events all over the world. In my almost 12 years here in West Wendover I have sprouted roots and consider this my hometown. I am currently the Poker Room Manager at the Wendover Nugget. My goal is to see West Wendover continue to grow and to keep this a place that my kids and I are proud to call home.”
While the two convictions could have been taken in consideration they should have not meant the complete denial of the permit.
“We as a council could have put a lot of conditions,” Holm added. “Like putting him on probation for a year or making him re-up after 18 month. It didn’t have to be this way.”
The ability of a restaurant to be able to serve beer, wine and spirits is often crucial to its success. Especially for a BBQ joint where a plate of ribs is best followed by a long cold beer.
