The Number of Newtown Township’s Restaurant Liquor Licenses Is Over the Allowed Quota
According to the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board (PLCB), Newtown Township has 14 “Active” restaurant liquor licenses plus one held in “Safekeeping” for Blue Point Grill, which is scheduled to open in July 2023. This is more than two times the quota of 7 such licenses (1 license per 3,000 municipal residents) allowed by law (i.e., “Liquor Code”).
However, municipal authorities – e.g., Board of Supervisors – can approve the transfer of licenses into the municipality in excess of the municipal quota. The approval must happen through written resolution passed at a public meeting. If a municipality refuses to allow a license transfer, the PLCB cannot transfer the license into that municipality (read, for example, “Blue Point Grill's Liquor License Transfer Not Approved”; https://www.johnmacknewtown.info/bpgliquorfail.html).
More restaurants, such as Capital Grille, are seeking approval to open in the Brixmor shopping center and will be asking the BOS approve transfer liquor licenses from other townships. This survey asks your opinion regarding such transfers.
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