After some difficulties getting a recommendation from city council, The House, 263. E Lincoln Highway, has been approved for a liquor license.

The House closed temporarily on Aug. 11, 2016 by previous owners, Brian and Alexandria Fausett due to financial difficulties. The music and entertainment cafe, reopened by Mark and Martha Robinson Oct. 14, 2016, but without a liquor license.

“While [not having a liquor license] doesn’t necessarily, 100 percent make it impossible to exist, it’s a basic revenue stream for any music venue,” Mark said. “The people who are seeing the shows have that basic expectation.”

Mark said that when he and Martha applied for a liquor license, that Chief of Police Gene Lowery recommended the DeKalb City Council deny the approval of the license due to issues in Martha’s background check.

In order to be approved for the license, Mark is now the sole owner of The House.

After Mark worked with the City Attorney Dean Frieders and Lowery, Lowery reassessed the situation and recommended city council approve the liquor license.

During its wait, The House reached out to the community for support through its Facebook page Dec. 6, 2016, asking people to write letters of recommendation and to attend a city council meeting which their liquor license application would be reviewed at.

“The house introduced me to a whole ton of sweet vibes and rad jams,” said Brandon Torres in a comment on the Facebook post. “One of the first actual music venues I’ve been to and the only one really worth going to in DeKalb.”

On Jan. 9, The House was approved for a liquor license by a unanimous vote from city council at their meeting.

“We are definitely thankful to the City of DeKalb for working with us,” Mark said. “The community response [and support] was huge.”

On Wednesday Mark said it could take another week or so before The House can start serving liquor despite the approval of the license.

“Hopefully we can continue to serve the community for a long time,” Mark said

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