HARRISBURG PA – Three of 10 restaurant liquor licenses that were put up for auction during June will be transferred by new owners from their current locations to sites in Montgomery and Chester counties, according to the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board.
Top bids for the 10 ranged from $105,000 to $557,777, the board reports. The average top bid in the auction was $284,394, it adds. According to a board report, the combined auction value of the winning bids exceeded $2.8 million.
The state says the three licenses being transferred locally were purchased by:
- Anne Moser DeMutis, for a bid amount of $557,777, for transfer from Laporte PA, Sullivan County, to an undisclosed location in Chester County;
- Wawa Inc., for a bid amount of $470,031, for transfer from Johnstown PA, Cambria County, to an undisclosed location in Chester County; and
- Three Monkeys Croydon Inc., for a bid amount of $105,000, for transfer from Shamokin PA, Northumberland County, to an undisclosed location in Montgomery County.
Winnings for seven other top bidders include a second license for Three Monkeys Croydon Inc., and two won by The Giant Company LLC. They are proposed to be transferred for new uses in Bucks, Cumberland (2), Lancaster, Monroe, and York (2) counties.
Every license reportedly received at least one bid. The number of bids for some licenses ranged from two to 10.
Following Auction, What’s Next?
Once notified of their success, highest responsive bidders for each license had up to 30 days to remit their bid payments to the board. They then have up to six months to submit an license application. If bid payments are not received on time, second-highest bidders have the opportunity to apply for the license.
Each highest bidder must also pay, in addition to the winning bid payment, a fee of $50,000 to transfer the license into the new county.
This auction is different than other “standard” auctions held since 2016, the board notes, because it is the first allowing licenses to be transferred across county lines by winning bidders.
A total of 54 validated bids were received by the board by its June 15 deadline. Among restaurant liquor licenses available were those that expired, and were previously put up for auction but received no bids.
The board says it anticipates holding a standard restaurant license before the year’s end.
The Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board regulates the distribution of beverage alcohol in Pennsylvania. It licenses more than 20,000 alcohol producers, retailers, and handlers, and also operates Fine Wine & Good Spirits stores statewide.
Our reporting on local dining covers activities and events of restaurants, and food or beverage suppliers, within Montgomery, Berks, and Chester PA counties. Find more articles here. Also, see or follow “Pottstown Foodie” on Facebook.
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