APPLETON (NBC 26) — The City of Appleton has voted to deny David Boulanger’s Class B Liquor License application for his proposed gaming bar, “Delaire’s.”
- Appleton Common Council has denied the Class B Liquor License application for proposed gaming bar “Delaire’s”
- The vote followed Safety & Licensing Committee’s recommendation for denial, failing 2-13
- Concerns centered on allegations of illegal gambling machines and shared bathroom access
- Exclusive video from October showed a man describing the business as “for gambling machines” while speaking to another business.
(The following is a transcription of the full broadcast story, with updates from a previous story)
The City of Appleton has voted to deny David Boulanger’s Class B Liquor License application for his proposed "board game" bar, “Delaire’s.”
The decision follows a recommendation for denial from the Appleton Safety & Licensing Committee. A not-withstanding vote was held, where a “yea” vote would approve the license and a “nay” vote would deny it. The motion failed, with two voting in favor and 13 against.
Concerns shared by neighboring business owners and city officials primarily stemmed from allegations that “Delaire’s” would be a gambling bar, as well as questions over whether the bar would have to share a bathroom with two or three other businesses in the building.
The Safety & Licensing Committe did note in their most recent meeting that even with a liquor license denial, "Delaire's" could still open but it would not be allowed to serve alcohol to patrons.
Boulanger was present for the vote and spoke before the Common Council but left immediately after the motion failed. NBC 26 has reached out to him and his legal counsel for comment but has not heard back.
The application process for “Delaire’s” has been under scrutiny since last fall, when the Safety & Licensing Committee initially approved the liquor license before sending it back for further review. City records showed other businesses along College Avenue claimed their new neighbor would be operating gambling machines with cash payouts.
Jaime Pappenfuss, owner of The Violet Social Club salon, shared exclusive video with NBC 26 from October, when a man mistakenly entered her business, which is next to the proposed bar. In the footage, the man described the future business as “like a bar, but not really to sell drinks … it’s for gambling machines.”
That man was later identified by the Lieutenant Ben Gordon from the Appleton Police Department as Chad Reichelt, a contractor and part owner of the building. This was discussed during the Appleton Safety & Licensing Committee meeting on February 12.
Under Wisconsin law, payouts from gambling machines are illegal. Boulanger denied any plans to have pay-out gambling machines, and police said they were unable to verify the claims before closing the investigation.
Documents obtained from the Village of Grafton also show Boulanger had attempted to open a gaming lounge in 2022. Those plans fell through after city officials determined payouts from his gaming machines violated state law.
