Our Team here at Liquor License Advisor often receives the question of whether someone must be a U.S. citizen to obtain a liquor license in Massachusetts. Legally, they do: The way the law currently stands, the manager of record for a business must be a U.S. citizen to obtain a liquor license, which means that a non-citizen cannot be listed as the manager of record if he or she requires a liquor license for his or her business. Here in Massachusetts, the license owner must actually be a state resident as well to go on record as a manager or owner of a liquor license.
To read the full article – check out The Advisor Magazine – Issue 31.
It’s not surprising for many that Boston is one of the major cities in the United States that isn’t well-known to have a variety of options for what to do when the sun goes down. Some argue that the reason is due to the City curfew, which is in place to reduce crime, support safety, and maintain cleanliness. Others say that transportation has also always been a main factor in Boston’s dull nightlife since the T stops running at around 1:00 AM, and rideshare prices have skyrocketed due to gas prices and the issue of supply and demand.
To read the full article – check out The Advisor Magazine – Issue 30.
The Massachusetts Package Store Association (MassPack) released a news brief on July 31, 2023, announcing that online lottery is no longer a contender in the Massachusetts FY2024 budget. This decision is good news for local package stores, many of which rely on lottery commissions as part of their sales.
Lottery officials began advocating for an online lottery system due to the legalization of sports betting, as they argue that “sports betting revenues could siphon off revenues from lottery sales”, to which MassPack retorts that, “This has never happened”.
MassPack claims that the state has presented “misleading information” and data based on New Hampshire, Virginia, Pennsylvania, and Michigan, where the state controls alcohol and lottery sales, and therefore does not accurately represent the situation here in Massachusetts, where 100% of lottery retailers are private stores, and an online lottery system would directly compete with these stores.
To read the full article – check out The Advisor Magazine – Issue 30.
With summer now in full swing, many restaurant and liquor store owners are faced with the same question: what will this season look like for my business? Will people hop on a plane or into their cars to seek adventure far away from home, or will the rising costs of fuel, food, and nearly everything in between cause people to stay closer to home? Recent travel reports reveal that while many remain enthusiastic about travelling this summer, embracing a pandemic-free season, travel plans may look a little different this year due to continuing inflation concerns. Restaurants and liquor stores, like most other businesses, are also faced with the consequences of inflation, and if you are a business owner you know that keeping your hand on the pulse of who your customers will be this summer (and how long they will be staying) has never been more important.
To read the full article – check out The Advisor Magazine – Issue 29.
A recent BevAlc Insights (by Drizly) report comments on the “premiumization trend” that surfaced during the pandemic, referring to when “consumers were trading up to higher-priced products across the beverage alcohol spectrum”, a trend that lasted well into the past year. As nights at home became standard during the pandemic, many upgraded their typical selections at the liquor store or online ordering platform to treat themselves.
To read the full article – check out The Advisor Magazine – Issue 29.
A recent BevAlc Insights by Drizly report reveals that in the past 12 months, Drizly has seen over 400 new RTD cocktail SKUs (stock keeping units) added to their catalog! Clearly, growth in this category is not slowing down any time soon. Local businesses should take note, because “By location, Boston; Northern New Jersey; Long Island, New York; Nashville; and Providence, Rhode Island all over-indexed on RTD sales on Drizly in that [12 month] time period”.
To read the full article – check out The Advisor Magazine – Issue 29.
The newly established View Boston’s restaurant and lounge just paid $600,000 for their full liquor license, a price tag that has turned some heads. It seems that the price of full liquor licenses in Boston is currently at an all-time high, with the city’s restaurant and bar scene looking much different post-pandemic, as many establishments closed their doors. However, many new restaurants and bars have begun to open their doors, although who exactly is able to open these doors is resulting in some controversy.
To read the full article – check out The Advisor Magazine – Issue 29.
It’s official: drinks-to-go, which was initially intended to be a temporary measure during the pandemic, has been extended for another year. EATER Boston reports that, “Governor Maura Healey signed legislation into effect that will allow Massachusetts businesses to sell cocktails to-go until March 30, 2024”.
To read the full article – check out The Advisor Magazine – Issue 26.
Nip ban debate heats up as Boston may be the next place in Massachusetts to prohibit nips.
As more and more Massachusetts towns and cities ban “nips”, also known as miniature liquor bottles containing 100 milliliters or less, it seems that Boston may be one of the next ones to join in. According to recent Boston.com and CommonWealth magazine articles, Councilor Ricardo Arroyo wants Boston to be the next city to consider this ban, presenting a significant challenge to liquor store owners.
To read the full article – check out The Advisor Magazine – Issue 26.
The winter holiday season – which is crowded with Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s Eve and all the merry get-togethers, gifts, and celebrations associated – may have come to an end, but that doesn’t mean that festive holiday alcohol consumption and gifting has to. Optimism comes with the start of spring, and consumers will look for reasons to celebrate the end of winter and look forward to spring and the new possibilities it promises.
To read the full article – check out The Advisor Magazine – Issue 25.