Colby R. Groom

A recent decision from the Wisconsin Court of Appeals underscores an important compliance risk for hospitality businesses and other liquor license holders across the state: amending your license is not a mere formality, even when you have a long and unblemished operating history. In State ex rel. Conch Co. Inc. v. Village of Egg Harbor, No. 2024AP641 (Wis. Ct. App. June 9, 2026), the court upheld a village board’s denial of a liquor license transfer request that sought to expand the footprint of an existing licensed premises. The decision confirms that local licensing authorities retain meaningful discretion when evaluating such applications, including where the applicant has operated without incident for decades.

Fiddleheads Coffee Roasters, Wisconsin’s family-owned roastery and café brand founded in 1996, has joined FairWave Specialty Coffee Collective through an acquisition closed on December 31.

On Thursday, December 18, President Trump issued an executive order directing the U.S. Attorney General to reclassify marijuana and associated hemp‑derived products from Schedule I to Schedule III “in the most expeditious manner in accordance” with the Controlled Substances Act and other federal law.