A local Wareham paper reports on the 8 new full alcoholic beverage licenses to be made available in Wareham, once approved by Governor Deval Patrick. The State Senate and House of Representatives have passed a bill that will make the eight additional liquor licenses available for year-round use; the prior licenses were seasonal, from April through November. The long-sought “above quota” year-round liquor licenses are earmarked for specific businesses or locations, as required by the legislative Joint Committee on Consumer Protection & Professional Licensure. The number of liquor licenses issued to a town is based on its population, and the town must request any licenses above the quota through legislation.
The locations that will be able to apply for the full licenses include the Stonebridge Bistro, Captain Al’s Restaurant, China Garden, Minerva’s Pizzeria, Ella’s Wood Burning Oven Restaurant, and restaurants at Wareham Crossing and A.D. Makepeace’s Rosebrook Place development, according to a press release from State Senator Marc Pacheco’s (D-Taunton) office. The list also included Merchants Way on the Bay, which closed suddenly in April. That license will apparently be designated for another Main Street restaurant.
The article reports that the lack of full liquor licenses has been a sore point in the Wareham and Onset business community, particularly for those restaurants with seasonal licenses that cannot serve alcohol from November 30 to April 1.
