More updates are rolling out on the City of Boston’s Liquor License Upgrade process. Here is what you need to know: On January 8, the Boston Licensing Board voted to adopt new regulations (Board Rule 1.08R) to authorize conversion of Beer/Wine Licenses to All Alcohol Licenses for existing license holders, with certain restrictions. Key takeaways…
POSTED IN: Alcoholic Beverage Licensing, Hospitality Practice Group, News
The transfer of an alcoholic beverages license from one party to another is a routine part of retail, restaurant, and hotel transactions. While parties often rely on governmental approvals as the benchmark for closing on a license transaction, such licensing approvals do not necessarily mean the license is free from financial liabilities, which could impact…
POSTED IN: Alcoholic Beverage Licensing, Hospitality Practice Group, News
In recent years, high interest rates, inflation, and changing consumer trends have resulted in a tightening of financing options available for restaurants. Lenders often require various forms of collateral for restaurant financing, particularly in assets that hold strong market value and can be resold in case of a borrower default. One increasingly popular solution for restaurateurs…
National operators face continuing challenges with alcoholic beverage licensing and compliance, predominantly due to the inherent complexity of adhering to a diverse array of liquor control regulations across the United States. Each state, and often municipalities within them, have their own rules for obtaining and maintaining licenses, covering everything from hours of sale to employee…
POSTED IN: Alcoholic Beverage Licensing, Hospitality Practice Group, News
In response to the recent passage of the Liquor License Expansion Bill, the City of Boston quickly established new application procedures in recent weeks and conducted outreach through a series of presentations by Mayor Michelle Wu, the Boston Licensing Board, the Office of Economic Opportunity, and the Boston City Council. While much of the local…
POSTED IN: Alcoholic Beverage Licensing, Hospitality Practice Group, News
Check out the latest episode of Transaction Talk featuring Adam Barnosky, Chair of the Restaurant and Hospitality Practice Group at Ruberto, Israel & Weiner. In this conversation, Adam delves into the unique challenges of restaurant transactions, discussing everything from liquor licensing and zoning permits to the intricacies of multi-unit franchising. He highlights how doing your…
On September 11, 2024, Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey signed into law a bill which will create 225 new liquor licenses in the City of Boston over the next three years. The bill, formally titled “An Act authorizing additional licenses for the sale of alcoholic beverages to be drunk on the premises in the City of…
POSTED IN: Alcoholic Beverage Licensing, Hospitality Practice Group, News
RIW Hospitality Practice Group Co-Chair Adam Barnosky was quoted in a recent Boston Globe article about creative approaches to liquor licensing in the City of Boston. Adam, who has handled licensing on behalf of various food hall operators and vendor startups, provided insight into this nuanced licensing structure, detailing the upside for up-and-coming restaurateurs who…
POSTED IN: Alcoholic Beverage Licensing, Hospitality Practice Group, News
On April 30, 2024, Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey signed a new law that will expedite outdoor dining approvals at the local level and authorize licensed restaurants to serve cocktails “to go.” The new law, titled “An Act Making Appropriations for the Fiscal Year 2024 to Provide for Supplementing Certain Existing Appropriations and for Certain Other…
POSTED IN: Alcoholic Beverage Licensing, Hospitality Practice Group, News
