MONDAY, October 12, 2026|
Photo – Buck’s Sports Grill – Bigfoot99 file photo
Rawlins officials are concerned that a local business owner’s inaction may cause the city to lose one of its state‑issued liquor licenses.
During the October 6th Rawlins City Council meeting, the governing body discussed what to do about Buck’s Sports Grill’s retail liquor license. City Clerk Lynn Shearer said that in November of 2025, the City Council and the Wyoming Department of Revenue’s Liquor Division authorized Buck’s Sports Grill owner Shawn Dahl to park his liquor license for one year. Clerk Shearer said that time period ends on November 18th, and if Dahl does not renew it by then, the city will lose the license.
Parking a liquor license means holding it in an unused, but still valid status to keep it from going back to the city.
Clerk Shearer said if the city loses the license, it must wait until the next statewide census to qualify for another one, as retail liquor licenses are tied to population. Even then, she said if the city’s population declines, it may not regain the license.
Clerk Shearer said she has tried to contact Buck’s Sports Grill owner Shawn Dahl on multiple occasions, most recently on September 30th, but he has not responded.
According to city documents, when the license was parked, Dahl planned to relocate Buck’s Sports Grill to 501 West Buffalo Street by April 1st, 2026. However, Clerk Shearer said he has not filed any permits with the city for the renovations he proposed making to the new location. For that reason, she said Dahl is out of compliance with Wyoming Statute 12‑4‑103, which requires the license holder to be operational within one year. The city clerk said Dahl will need to resolve that conflict before he can sell or transfer the license.
Mayor Jacquelin Wells said the governing body must decide whether to let Dahl’s liquor license expire or park it for another year. City Attorney Pinita Maberry‑Nave explained that state law, in her view, requires Dahl to make that request himself.
Attorney Maberry‑Nave added that Dahl’s noncompliance with the state liquor division does not justify an extension.
City Manager Matt Hall noted that the liquor license is, technically, for sale.
The buyer would need to satisfy the Wyoming Department of Revenue’s Liquor Division to complete the purchase.
As the matter was simply a discussion item meant to gauge the Council’s opinion on the soon‑to‑expire retail liquor license, the governing body took no official action. The city has little recourse except to wait for Dahl’s license to expire or for him to request to park it again.
