Brookings Banter

The liquor license as in the only one.  Fellow Council Member Mike Bartley has asked that we accept applications for the on sale liquor license that is "on the shelf".  For over two years we have kept that license hoping to use it to lure a hotel and or fine dining restaurant.  Over the past few months two businesses have sent applications to us hoping we would grant the license to them. 

Although Brookings and several other cities are working hard to get the State to give us more licenses for restaurants I'm not optimistic we will get any more to award this coming year.  Liquor license are as political as it gets and the liquor industry (both the supplies and sellers) have a strong hold on our law makers. 

I think we need to use this license as an attraction tool versus awarding it to a business that is already in town.  Citizen want more dining selections and places to hold meetings, weddings, and the like.  Holding this for someone who comes to us and says it is part of the deal to start up in Brookings would be prudent.   The only upside to opening it up is it may expedite someone coming forward with a new business idea knowing that it may be a year or two before we can award another.