Obtaining Special Liquor Licenses in Florida

Last post we touched on the common types of liquor licenses sold in Florida, but what happens if you're not interested in opening a restaurant, convince store, or night club, yet still want to sell alcohol? Are you still a little fuzzy on what applies to you and what doesn't apply to you? Do you even need a liquor license for your particular situation? Hopefully this article will help you find out what you need or set you off in the right direction to do further research. 

For the most part obtaining a liquor license is pretty straightforward, but just knowing which one is best for your particular situation can take a little time to research, figure out, and decide. As mentioned in the previous post, there are roughly 36 permits and liquor licenses business owners can choose from, so it can definitely feel overwhelming knowing that you have almost 'too many' options available. 

The Division of Alcoholic Beverages and Tobacco (ABT) is the branch responsible for overseeing licensure for all liquor in Florida state. They are in charge of enforcing the law and regulation of both the alcohol beverage and tobacco industry. This means they are in charge of licenses, collections, fees, and can even audit your taxes if they suspect something is not in compliance with the law.  

So if you have a problem with your license or happen to get the wrong one for your unique situation, you'd be the first one to know about it from the ABT branch. Before you do heavy paperwork and pay for anything, make sure you confirm with them that your license is correct for the kind of business you want to do. Save yourself the trouble by asking the questions now! 

If you're a professional caterer looking to obtain a license to serve alcohol at a venue, then you're business must meet certain requirements before you can do that. Similar to restaurants looking to acquire a liquor license, 51% of the caterer's income must be from the sale of non-alcohol items. This means the primary focus of your business should be food and soft drinks. Also, all alcohol you plan to serve must be bought from a licensed vendor, so make sure you have done a little bit of due diligence before you start the process. 

There are licenses specifically for theme parks, golf courses, special events, music festivals, local municipal properties, and more. The good news is, obtaining a license for these special kinds of situations may actually be less complicated than obtaining a more common license for a bar or club. If you're not 100% which one you qualify under, then please check out the ABT website and look through the necessary requirements that apply for your particular situation. 

We are a liquor license brokerage company, so if you have any questions in regards to how you can obtain a quota-based license, we'd be more than happy to help make the connection with another business owner looking to sell their current license. 

Congrats to The Island Cow restaurant in Sanibel on the purchase of their FULL liquor license!

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Winner of the Best of the Islands Award for 11 years and counting!

What’s better than great food? More of it! At the Island Cow you will find the largest menu on the Island! Our menu is the result of years of culinary travel, two parts Southwest Florida, one part Southern Comfort food, we throw in a cup of Sanibel add a dash of the caribbean and the result is ALL delicious!

Voted a “Top 5 Breakfast in Florida!” by Southern Living Magazine

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The Different Types of Liquor Licenses Available in Florida State

If you're the new owner of a bar, entertainment venue, or restaurant in the state of Florida, well first of all, congratulations! Second, you probably have plans to get a license to sell alcoholic drinks at your venue. There are different types of licenses you can get for your establishment in Florida, especially if you're planning on selling strong liquor and spirits or beer and wine. This article hopes to shed light on the different types of licenses you can acquire and to help you hone down on what license is best for you based for your particular situation. 

In Florida, you can choose roughly around 36 different types of permits and licenses just related to alcohol sales alone. Before you get overwhelmed, these different types of permits/licenses are based on two primary types of licenses for two types of alcohol; the sale and consumption of beer and wine and the sale and consumption of liquor. 

For the most part though, the other licenses available are used in special cases for a wide variety of unique scenarios when different types of establishments are involved, like a bar versus a night club. As you can imagine, licenses to sell packaged drinks and drinks for venue consumption for liquor or spirit drinks are often a lot harder to get because it is more regulated. So as a new business owner, be prepared to exercise your patience when it comes to trying to obtain that particular license. 

The three most common liquor licenses sold in Florida are as follows: 

2 APS. 

This license permits the sell of beer and wine for off-site consumption only. Grocery or convenience stores are the ones who often apply for this type of license. Unlike the other drinking on-site licenses, this particular one does not have a quota system, so it is easily obtainable. By having this license though, it does not allow you to sell liquor. It is for beer and wine only. 

SRX License 

Restaurants who would like to sell liquor at their establishment will need to purchase a special license for this and that's only if they meet certain requirements. The restaurant must first generate at least 51% of their income from food, soft drinks, and other non-alcohol related items before they're able to serve liquor. 

Quota Licenses

This license applies mostly to bars or nightclubs looking to sell both liquor, beer, and wine. You are able to obtain licenses for both the sale of packaged alcohol to be consumed off-site and the sale of liquor to be consumed on the property itself. Unfortunately since these licenses are quota-based, it becomes very hard to get a brand new license right off the bat. 

These quotas are set based on population of the county. So, one license becomes available for every additional 7,500 people living in that country. In order for owners to (hopefully) get this new license when it becomes available, they must enter into a lottery system and hope for the best. There are also brokers like us who help connect both buyers/sellers to one another so that new owners can obtain a existing license already in circulation. 

How To Get a Liquor License in Florida

Looking to get a liquor license in Florida? Florida liquor license laws might be difficult to understand at first, but with the right help by your side, the process is often quick and painless. Before you apply for a liquor license, you should decide beforehand what license is the most applicable to you based on what kind of business you're planning on operating.  

Florida's liquor license laws run on what is called a “three tier system”. Florida's three tier system means that license holders many only obtain licenses from one of the three tiers in the system, with the exception of wineries; who can hold a license in more than one tier. 

The three tiers in the system are: Manufacturer, distributor, or vendor. The definition of each tier is straight forward. If you manufacture alcohol, you must have a manufacturer license. If you are a distributor, you will need a distributor license in order to purchase alcohol from the manufacturers and be able to sell alcohol to the retail vendors as well. If you get a vendor license, this license allows you to sell alcoholic drinks to consumers 21 years of age or older. 

Now that you are aware of the three types of tiers available, you should ask detailed questions about what kind of business you're planning to open. For the sake of this article, we'll be focused on the retail vendor tier. Do you plan to sell alcohol for a limited time only, such as a one-day event, or do you plan to sell it on an ongoing basis? Will you be opening a cafe? A restaurant? How about a bar or a nightclub?

Do you want alcohol to be consumed only inside your premises? Do you have any outdoor spaces? Would you like your customers to take away alcohol? These are all important questions to answer, because there are several different vendor licenses available depending on the kind of business you would like to open. 

Unfortunately, Florida has a quota as to how many licenses they're able to issue out each year. This means it can take some patience to get a brand new license, which is why it's often better to purchase a license from a previous owner. A brokerage can help with the buy/sell process, because it focuses on connecting the seller with the buyer. If you're looking to purchase a license, check out our company, http://www.liquorlicensefl.com/. We can help bridge the gap between finding the right seller anywhere in Florida state. 

It should be noted that in the state of Florida, a person who has been convinced within the past five years for soliciting prostitution, letting premises for prostitution, keeping a disorderly place, controlled substance abuse, or any criminal violation will not be able to acquire a liquor license. The same thing would apply to an individual who was convicted of a felony in the United States in the last 15 years. They will also be unable to hold a liquor license. 

Florida Population Continues to Grow

Florida state for the first time has surpassed the 20 million population mark with an estimated 20,271,272 registered Florida residents as of July 1^st. This makes Florida the third state to cross the 20 million-people mark, behind California and Texas.  This is a big increase from last year's head count, which estimated roughly 803 people a day were being added to the state's registrar. Florida is also growing a lot faster compared to California, which is great news for small business owners and those with liquor licenses. 

However, the increase of population to Florida state is not without challenges. Lawmakers are preparing to deal with a wide range of issues, such as effectively providing water to their residents. Florida faces a projected 1-billion-gallons-a-day in water shortages by the year 2030. Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam has been a huge advocate for statewide water policy changes to prevent this from happening. 

The water supply issue will be expected to be among the first items lawmakers take up when the regular legislative session begins in January. Florida residents will hope to see structural water supply planning and alternative supply development in the next coming years. 

Despite these potential drawbacks, there are plenty of benefits to an increased population in Florida. For one, a greater population will be able to take full advantage of Florida's booming hospitality industry. As demand grows, there will also be more interested investors looking to fund new and exciting businesses. This will eventually create more job security among native Florida residents as well. 

More people also means more seats at the U.S. House of Representatives. Florida state currently has 27 seats. As the population grows, so will the need for positive change to regulation on Florida's liquor licenses and permits. Governor Rick Scott spokeswoman Jackie Schutz said in a statement, “Our hardworking businesses have created more than 1 million jobs in just five years, we have historic funding for education and we are in a 44-year low on our crime rate.” 

This comes as excellent news for both restaurant and bar owners. The increased population also means increased consumers stopping in for after-hour drinks. With positive population growth, low crime, and small businesses funding the state, it's no wonder that Florida's economy is thriving and requests on liquor licenses are growing. 

Savvy business owners understand the need for increased entertainment in an economy that is developing rapidly. Don't wait till it's too late, apply for your liquor license today with Liquor License FL to get started on your new business. 

About Liquor License FL:

If you're interested in either purchasing or selling your liquor license, we help facilitate and finance that transaction. As there are limited liquor licenses in each Florida county, you may end up having to purchase a liquor license from a owner looking to sell. As the lending liquor license brokerage firm in Florida, we monitor the price trends continuously to help ensure you never overpay for your license. Please contact us for more information. 

Do you have Florida Liquor License Needs?

Do you want to sell or buy a liquor license in Florida? Would you like to refinance your existing license and benefit from better terms and conditions? Have you been thinking of applying for a new license, but got discouraged by the hassle of the process? Then, Liquor License Locators is your answer! We are the go to liquor license broker in Florida and we will assist you every step of the way, regardless of what your needs may be!

We work with both buyers and sellers of Florida Alcohol Licenses and we have an extensive portfolio of clients, which enables us to quickly and properly identify the best license for your needs. 

We have been operating in the field of Florida beverage licenses for more than twenty years now and we have gained vast experience and expertise in the Liquor License Laws & Rules, so whatever question or puzzle you may have, we will know how to guide you straight.

Whether you want to close your liquor selling business or you are on the verge of starting a new one, Liquor License Locators can handle all the ins and outs of the closing or the application process. 

The Benefits of working with Liquor License Locators:

• ·      Bespoke Service
• ·      Best Price on the Market
• ·      Affordable Commission
• ·      Best Financing and Refinancing Terms
• ·      Quick and Professional Closing
• ·      Expedited Application Transfer Process

Have a question about buying or selling a liquor license in Florida? Give us a call and we will guide you every step of the way. You will save time and money with Liquor License Locators!

Thank you for considering us for all of your Liquor License needs.

1.866.470.8881

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Give Liquor License FL a call to find out how much we are currently willing to lend on your Quota Liquor Licenses!!! 239-205-4770

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