Another Restaurant Seeking To Acquire Its Liquor License from the State Legislature, this Time in Danvers
Under Massachusetts law, each municipality is limited in the number of liquor licenses it is authorized to issue based upon the population of the given town or city. In Danvers, all the available liquor licenses have been issued. Accordingly, in order to open a new business with a liquor license in Danvers, a business would ordinarily be required to purchase and transfer an existing license for whatever the market price would yield for that license.
Turner’s Market Fish and Fry, a Gloucester restaurant which seeks to open a similar seafood type restaurant in Danvers, however, is seeking to acquire its own liquor license in Danvers directly from the Massachusetts State legislature, which has the authority to do so under certain circumstances.
Danvers is home to 45 liquor licensed establishments, and two of these alcoholic beverage licenses were issued by special legislation in the Massachusetts State Legislature, including Sawasdee Thai Restaurant and McKinnon’s Butcher Shop. Turner’s may be next in line as attending members of the Annual Danvers Town Meeting approved Turner’s request for a home-rule petition for an “All Alcoholic” license.
Representative Ted Speliotis is House chairman on the Joint Committee on Consumer Protection and Professional Licensure, which makes recommendations to the Legislature on the issuing of additional liquor licenses, and is reported to have asserted he will support the petition.