One of the City of Powell’s retail liquor licenses is up for grabs, with a pair of local businesses competing for the rare permit.

Jose Garcia of Jose’s Meat Processing says alcohol would pair well with the Mexican restaurant and meat shop he plans to launch, while Shelley and Jeff Hill of Hillside Floral hope to expand their shop into bar services and catering.

Of the liquor licenses offered in Wyoming, a retail license is the least restrictive, able to be used for bars or package liquor stores. That contrasts with, say, a restaurant liquor license, which only allows alcohol to be served in a dining area and comes with a requirement that alcohol account for no more than 40% of gross sales.

While retail licenses are more flexible, they’re limited by population. The City of Powell can only issue 14 of them, and all were claimed in 2024. However, the Backstreet Pub closed mid-year and its license went up for grabs Jan. 1.

Jose Y Jose

Garcia and his company, Jose Y Jose Inc., applied for the license on Dec. 31. Jose Y Jose took over Roger’s Meat Processing in 2019, and is now working to expand into the Bent Street building that formerly housed Pepe’s Mexican Restaurant.

In a proposal to the city, Garcia laid out plans for a new Mexican restaurant that will also offer catering and sell both meat and liquor. He said he’d aim to sell alcoholic beverages that aren’t offered in other local stores.

“... we would have the opportunity to create specials and events that are not normally done around here and give it a new type of vibe for people to be a part of,” Garcia added.

He threw out several possibilities, such as Beer and Burrito Wednesdays, Tacos and Tequila, or Margaritas and Fajitas.

“We would be able to host karaoke, bingos and other fun games with a Mexican twist to them,” Garcia wrote, “something where people can have fun and drink and eat at the same time.”

He indicated the as-yet-to-be-named restaurant might serve food and alcohol until 2 a.m.

Hillside Floral

After Jose Y Jose submitted its application, the City of Powell placed ads noting that the license was available and giving any other interested parties until Jan. 30 to apply.

Hillside Floral submitted its proposal on Jan. 17. Shelley and Jeff Hill started the business in 2021, when they purchased Rayven’s Flowers and Gifts in downtown Powell. They later moved Hillside to its current location on South Fair Street.

More recently, the business added a farmer’s market that features goods from 20 local vendors — and the plan is to continue growing.

“Hillside is looking to expand our business by incorporating our wedding florals and events, with bar services and catering,” the business wrote in its proposal to the city. “We will also begin offering gourmet wine baskets, wine-tasting events, and social events for different outside groups such as book clubs, support groups, and others.”

All of the current liquor license holders are on the north side of the railroad tracks, and Hillside said its location “will benefit all the new growth that has spread to the south side of town.”

Hillside’s application listed hours of operations of 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., Monday through Saturday.

Representatives from both businesses will get a chance to make their pitch to the council at Tuesday’s meeting, and any members of the public will also be invited to weigh in.

Recent history

This will mark the third time in roughly six years that the Powell City Council has had to pick between competing proposals for a retail liquor license.

In late 2018, the council awarded its last available license to a planned hotel and conference center on the city’s west side over a proposed high-end sports bar.

When the hotel didn’t come to fruition, the city then awarded the license to Albertsons, choosing the incoming grocer over the Pit Stop No. 12 convenience store on West Coulter Avenue. However, that 2021 decision had only a short-lived impact, as the Pit Stop secured a different license months later.

At its Feb. 3 meeting, the council agreed to transfer Pit Stop 12 LLC’s license to Bailey Enterprises Inc. However, it was effectively just a change on paper, as the owner (Mike Bailey of Riverton) and location remains the same.