Complying with Liquor Licensing Laws in Florida
Colleagues stopping for drinks together on their way home from work, friends toasting a special occasion, and couples enjoying some alone time over “sparklies” and delicious food – for all kinds of get-togethers, bars are where different kinds of people build relationships over drinks. If you live in Florida and you’re looking for a profitable business venture, a bar is definitely one worth considering.
Bars in Florida are renowned not only for their hip style but also for their extensive menu. Customers can choose from a vast range of alcoholic drinks and dishes. Some bars also provide special events to further elevate the experience at the establishment, as well as attract even more customers. They have game nights and open mic nights, plus many other events to cater to increasingly diverse preferences. If you have a solid business plan, finding success in this branch of the hospitality industry is not going to be too difficult.
Before you can implement your plans, however, it’s important to make sure that your business is legally compliant. Liquor licensing laws in Florida have specific requirements for bar owners in order to be granted a liquor license to be used for operations.
One of the most important points covered by licensing laws is the need for an alcohol bond. The alcohol bond guarantees payment of taxes or fees imposed by the state or local law for the sale, manufacture or warehouse of liquor and other alcoholic beverages.
The second point is zoning. You can’t choose just any place as a business site. The law states that your chosen business site should be zoned commercially. The license will not be granted to any business that wants to sell and serve liquor and other alcoholic drinks if it’s near a school, church, and other similar establishments. Likewise, you can’t establish your business where liquor licenses are already maxed out.
Another crucial thing that you need to determine is what kind of alcohol-serving business you are. Do you just wish to sell, or will you also be serving drinks at your place? There are different classes of liquor licenses and they have specific conditions that you must honor to comply with the law.
Before launching your business, you must already have the license. This is what often takes a long time and some people end up waiting half a year for the release of their license because authorities make sure the business has already met all the requirements.
Lastly, the law also emphasizes the importance of the agreement of parties outside of your business (but are related to it in some way) such as your landlord and certain community groups to your operations. Licensing offices will not grant the license if your business has issues with such parties.