Sell Your Florida Liquor License Quickly with Us!

Are you ready to settle down and retire or move onto new found adventures? You're in luck! Liquor License FL is a brokerage firm that helps connect sellers like yourself to eager buyers! We have transferred thousands of liquor licenses in Florida and we always ensure a clean and smooth process for both our buyers and sellers. Even if you've already closed your doors and your license has become inactive, you are still able to sell it to a buyer in the state of Florida.

We understand that you've spent a pretty penny on obtaining your license and want to get a good deal for your hard efforts. We have a team of professionals who understand the Florida market extremely well and know a good deal when they see one! We aim to deliver the best sale price and best purchase price to both parties involved, so that nobody feels cheated by the end of the transaction.

The best way to sell your liquor license where you can ensure you're complying with Florida law is through a brokerage firm. Our customers come from all over Florida seeking for good opportunities to purchase a liquor license, and as you may know, liquor licenses don't grow on trees! Although we try to ensure a speedy wait time for our buyers, we are never short on customers looking to start their bar or restaurant in the Florida area and they need a license to do those things now!

We have a large client base waiting for you and we make sure that you never sell your top-dollar license for under market prices. If you're looking for effective, quick, and hassle free service, then you've come to the right place. If you have any questions on how our process works, feel free to contact us and we'll be more than happy to provide answers to the questions you may have. Let us know what county you're in and the reasons why you're selling your license so that we can better serve you down the road.

It is unfortunate that you're selling and we're sad to see you go, but let us make the experience for you getting out of this market as pleasant as possible. It's never easy to part ways with your business, your baby, so our team will be here to guide you from start to finish as you go through the selling process. You'll never feel like you're doing it alone!

It is our priority that you benefit from this business relationship and that you end up being happy with the deal we make between you and the buyer. When you work with us, you'll know exactly why thousands of other venue owners are so satisfied. We make sure our sellers are receiving the best and most fair price on the market! Feel free to give us a call at 1-866-470-8881 and let us know how we can serve you.

Are You Sick and Tired of Your Office Cubical?

It's a common compliant we receive. A lot of our customers come from the corporate world. We've seen it time and time again. They're tired. They're tired of working long hours with minimal rewards. They're tired of never seeing their family and they're tired of not contributing to something bigger, more meaningful.

We're not saying opening a bar will solve all your problems, but it's a start. It's definitely a chip in the big brick wall. When you work towards something you want, on your own terms, your life has meaning. We know this because we've seen it in our customers time and time again. However, the dream all starts with a liquor license. Sounds like we're just pushing our service, and we are to a degree, but we want you to fully understand the potential of what building a sustainable dream looks like.

Your dream can look like whatever you want it to look like and that's the beauty of running your own business. We won't lie to you, there will be times you'll be putting in more hours than you currently do at work, at least in the beginning, but you know what? This could be a dream that you pass down to your children or at the very least, it gives your children the inspiration to do what you did and not let the corporate world dictate their schedule and their life. By owning your business, you are becoming someone's role model because you are one of the few who stood up and said no. You're living your life by your own terms and we respect that.

Want to own a bar by the beach? You can and we can help you. It doesn't matter where you are in Florida, we are able to help you get the liquor license you need for your dream business. If you're a small cafe to a large dance club, we can help you get the correct licensing you need in no time. We serve the entire Florida state and have helped thousands of dreamers leave their jobs and become real-life business owners and entrepreneurs.

Not exactly sure what you're looking for? Give us a call and one of our representatives will help guide you through the process and help you answer any questions you might have. The benefits of hiring a brokerage firm to help get you a liquor licenses is that we're here with you every step of the way. We understand the common struggles of a small business owner and help make the process as effective and as painless as possible. 

We don't recommend you trying to obtain a liquor license on your own as it can take months to receive and those extra months wasted means you're one step farther from obtaining your dream business. One of the benefits of hiring us is that we have a qualified team to help make sure your application process is being moved as quickly as possible. Don't wait, call us today!

To Lien or Not to Lien (a Liquor License): Understanding the Benefits and the Risks

View Original Article Here
Blog Doing Business in Florida

Berger Singerman LLP 

USA August 8 2016

Any person or corporation holding a bona fide mortgage, lien or security interest in a liquor license issued by the Florida Department of Business & Professional Regulation, Division of Alcoholic Beverages & Tobacco (“ABT”) can perfect the lien on such liquor license by filing an Application for Mortgagee’s Interest in Spirituous Alcoholic Beverage License, form ABT-6022 with ABT. What does a lender have to gain by taking a security interest in an ABT license? The answer depends on the type of license. In Florida, there are two basic types of retail full liquor licenses (licenses that allow you to sell beer, wine and liquor at retail): (1) Quota Licenses; and (2) Special Licenses.

The number of Quota Licenses issued in each county in Florida is limited and based upon the population. Quota Licenses are the only type of liquor license that can be used for a nightclub or liquor store. Quota Licenses are awarded by lottery and outside of the ABT-run lottery may be purchased from a willing owner of a Quota License for around $150K – $175K. It is logical for a lender to take a security interest in a Quota License, because the lender/lienholder would be entitled to the proceeds of the foreclosure sale of the Quota License. The limitation on Quota Licenses creates value in the Quota License and helps to secure the debt.

Special Licenses are exceptions to the limitation on the number of Quota Licenses. Special Licenses are issued based upon the use and may be obtained as a matter of right, assuming the applicant is qualified to be licensed and the premises to be licensed meets the standards for the particular type of Special License. Special Licenses are specific to the licensed premises and cannot be moved to another location. One example of a Special License is the type of liquor license issued to hotels (“Special Hotel License”). There may be particular limitations applicable by county, but generally speaking a Special Hotel License requires that the licensee is the owner or lessee of the entire hotel premises, which must have not fewer than 100 rooms and derive at least 60 percent of its gross revenue from the rental of hotel or motel rooms.

When a lender loans money to finance the purchase of a hotel, the lender will want to secure that debt as much as possible. But if the hotel has a Special Hotel License, does the recording of an ABT-6022 provide any security for the debt? The answer is no. Because a Special Hotel License can be obtained as a matter of right and cannot be moved to another location, there is no reason for anyone to purchase a Special Hotel License at auction. Absent security for the debt, is there any reason for a lender to take a security interest in the Special Hotel License or perfect such interest by filing an ABT-6022? That answer is more complicated.

Section 561.32(1)(b), Florida Statutes, provides that “any person having a security interest in an alcoholic beverage license is deemed to be interested indirectly in such license; and he or she shall be disclosed to the division ….” ABT license applications require applicants to disclose any person with a direct or indirect interest in the liquor license sought. In the case of a loan on a hotel purchase, lenders ordinarily do not need to be disclosed on the ABT license application as having an interest in the business or liquor license because the purchaser of the hotel is usually a limited liability company owned by a REIT, which leases the hotel to an operating tenant. The owner never operates the hotel or holds the liquor license, so the loan to the owner does not create an indirect interest business or liquor license.

In the owner/operator structure described above, the operating tenant operates the hotel and holds the liquor license. If the Lender also takes a security interest in the liquor license, the Lender will need to be disclosed on the ABT liquor license application and the security agreement will need to be provided to ABT for review. To put it mildly, additional agreements and complicated deal structures do not aid in ABT’s review of a liquor license application. As a result, a Lender taking a security interest in the liquor license can complicate the licensing process and leave the hotel without a liquor license while ABT figures out whether the liquor license can be issued. This represents the risk that the lender must understand in deciding to take a security interest in a Special Hotel License.

Perfecting a lien in a Special Hotel License can provide the lender with a benefit. ABT is required to notify any lienholder of a pending liquor license revocation or suspension. So lenders can use lien registration with ABT as a means to monitor potential defaults on loans. The question becomes whether this benefit outweighs the potential risks.

Berger Singerman LLP - Paul S. Figg

UCF Campus Alcohol Vendors Talk Proper Licensing

Original Story Here
Alcohol on college campuses is nothing new. Beer cans and liquor bottles abound at every football tailgate, at every party and in practically every dorm-room refrigerator.

But one of the only ways to get alcohol legally on campus is through a select set of restaurants that each received special permission and followed strict regulations from both the university and the state government regarding selling and using these beverages.

According to UCF policy 3-115.1, there are only a certain number of places and organizations allowed to sell alcoholic beverages on campus, including athletics facilities such as Bright House Networks Stadium and houses occupied by sororities or fraternities.

The alcoholic beverages that are sold on campus must be consumed in the facility where the product was purchased. These locations include the Student Union, Bright House Networks Stadium, Fairwinds Alumni Center, Knights Plaza, the Live Oak and Cypress Room, and the CFE Arena.

In each of these locations, either UCF directors or the UCF Convocation Corporation set the hours, days and conditions for the sale.

These vendors aren’t allowed to offer free beverages for any purpose, offer drinks for more than 50 percent off their advertised price or offer any kind of discount promotions during home football gamedays.

Individuals who are above the legal drinking age of 21 are allowed to consume alcohol in their dorm rooms, fraternity or sorority houses or at any student or school-sponsored function that has had prior approval and complies with the university’s policy.

Wackadoo’s Grub and Brew in the Student Union is one of the vendors that has permission to serve wine and beer on campus. The restaurant’s menu reads, “We proudly serve a wide selection of bottled and draught beers.”

“[We] decided to include it in our menu in order to keep the UCF community on campus,” said Scott Kelly, Wackadoo’s co-owner.

But after receiving permission from the school, Kelly said he then had to apply for a license from Florida’s Division of Alcoholic Beverages and Tobacco.

According to the Division’s website, in order to sell beer or wine, a vendor must purchase a consumption-on-premise license, which allows customers to consume the alcoholic beverage on property, or a package license, which allows the customer to purchase the beverage on property and then remove it from the property to be consumed somewhere else. These licenses are unlimited — there aren’t any restrictions on the number that can be issued.

In order to sell liquor, however, a vendor must purchase or apply for a quota license, which is limited based on a county’s population. These licenses can only be obtained by winning a lottery with an entry period that begins on the third Monday in August and ends 45 days after each year. They can also be obtained by purchasing the license from someone who is seeking to sell theirs.

With any license, the vendor must fill out an application form and pay an annual fee, which can range from $28 to $1,820. For quota licenses, there is a one-time fee of $10,750, plus additional transfer costs with a license is being purchased from another vendor.

Restaurants can also apply for a special license called an SRX, which allows restaurants to sell beer, wine and liquor for consumption on the premises, as long as certain conditions are met. For example, the restaurant has to derive 51 percent of its revenue from food and non-alcoholic beverages to qualify.

Being able to use and serve alcohol on campus has been a big draw for many of the UCF-based vendors.

The Pop Parlour sells alcohol-infused ice pops to customers in Knight Plaza, and owner Brandon Chandler said he first had to receive permission from the school. But he said the extra paperwork has paid off.

“The alcohol pops have already been a good part of our business,” Chandler said. “We have seen them all over social media, and they are a big reason a lot of people have come in.”

Despite the strict regulations at both the university and state levels, Kelly also said that the benefits outweighed the trouble it took to obtain a license.

“Anything that benefits the UCF community is always worth it,” he said.

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Deanna Ferrante is a Senior Staff Writer and Watchdog Reporter for the Central Florida Future.

Get Your Liquor License Before Spring Break!

Florida is a huge tourist attraction among young college students during spring break. Not only are there regular beach parties seven days a week, but everyone is armed with a strong SPF suntan lotion and the will to party. For non-native Floridians, they might not realize the full-fledged boost in economy these students bring year after year. According to a statistic in 2014, out-of-state visitors increase by around 36% during spring break. That's great foot traffic if you have an amazing location beach-side or within the surrounding areas.

Tourists love coming down during the winter months, so not only will you see foot traffic from your average 21-year-old, but from the folks trying to avoid the cold weather in other parts of the state too. Most times during the spring break months businesses are crowded, full, and have a waiting line. Definitely do not miss your opportunity to seize and capitalize on great business potential!

Liquor License FL offers speedy services to get your liquor license, so you can have your business up and running in no time. Since we are a brokerage company, we're able to find the best deals from already established business owners looking to sell their licenses. You can always wait for the quota to increase, which happens about once a year, however Florida has a lottery system and it could take several years before you actually 'win' anything. Obviously, this is simply not a very good business model from an entrepreneur stand point as it prevents local businesses from getting their head start.

One of the big benefits to a quota lottery system though is that it prevents the economy from being over saturated with bars and other businesses that serve alcohol. You can definitely prosper in this area, because you know that, once you get your liquor license, you are among the selected few who can serve alcohol. Just beware that underage drinking is massively prevalent during spring break, so be sure to have strong systems in place that check for ID.

We hope you consider our services in the future, especially during the heavy tourist seasons. Not only can you create the ideal business – a bar on the beach, but there will be enough foot traffic between foreign tourists, Americans escaping their winter state, and students within the early months of the year that you will definitely be able to profit or at least make back your initial investment in your business.

There are many Florida business owners that only open during the heavy tourist seasons, because they understand and have a deep knowledge of how to get the most 'bang for your buck' during these high-traffic months. Why not create the ideal business environment where you only have to work 6 months of out the year? And it's only going to get better! As the US economy grows, more Americans will be able to afford a quick trip to Florida when things are extremely cold up north.

Liquor License FL

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