Ventnor City Commissioners are having a hell of a time auctioning off two retail consumption liquor licenses, allowing a restaurant to sell you a cocktail along with your meal.
Back on June 23, 2017, opening bid was $100k for one of these licenses. Awkwardly, no bidders emerged. Most recently on Nov. 3, Ventnor lowered the opening bid to $75k. Still no bidders.
Landgraf, Holtzman & Kriebel will try a 3rd time on Thursday, Feb. 15. Residents wonder if Ventnor leadership is just spinning their wheels, and not reading the teas leaves properly.
Ventnor liquor licenses could be worth almost nothing, in a town were BYOB is common, popular and customary.
Maybe Ventnor is doing a lousy job of advertising for bids? The old school ways of getting the word out just doesn’t work anymore. Ventnor commissioners didn’t that memo.
As you may recall, voters in Ventnor approved a binding referendum back in November of 2016, allowing beer, wine and liquor sales at full-service Ventnor restaurants.
The City of Ventnor is eligible to issue up to three licenses.
Bid packages due Feb. 15 must include:
- 12-page application: Division of Alcohol Beverage Control
- Bid amount
- Signed affidavit of qualification
- Certified check or money order equaling 10% of bid amount
The licenses awarded to highest bidders, who then must pass a police investigation.
For more info: call the very friendly, Ventnor City Clerk at 609-823-7904.
If it ain’t broke then don’t fix it! Ventnor has been a BYOB town for over 100 years. We like it that way.