The coveted liquor license attached to Seven Sauces could increase interest in the building because of the limited number of available licenses in Athens County, the realtor said.
The opportunity to transfer the license could entice buyers because most types of Athens County's 164 licenses are unavailable, said Liz Maule, realtor of Seven Sauces, which is listed at $550,000.
The new owner isn't guaranteed the license ' he or she will still need to apply and pass a background check before the city transfers Seven Sauces' license. If there are no problems with the application, the license will usually be issued anywhere from 15 days to 12 weeks after filing, according to the Ohio Division of Liquor Control.
Including a liquor license with the sale of a business is a common practice, said Matt Mullins, spokesman for the liquor control division.
Permit-holders can make lucrative deals of about $100,000 for the transfer of a liquor license, said realtor and former Damon's manager Matt Gaiser.
A license-holder must also pay a renewal fee from $25 to $3,906 annually depending on the type of permit. The average cost of renewal for a liquor license for restaurants or bars is about $2,000 annually.
The 164 permits in the county don't include manufacturing permits, and are issued to 66 businesses, Mullins said, adding that businesses need multiple licenses depending on what type of alcohol is being sold and the hours of sale.
The Ohio Division of Liquor Control bases the number of permits allowed in a county on population and the type of permit applied for, so the number of permits available can change daily. In Athens County, the latest assessment to determine the number of licenses allowed was on March 31.
In Athens County, there are seven available permits for the serving of alcohol in a private club and one available for extending serving hours to 2:30 a.m., Mullins said. All other types of permits are unavailable.
The Smiling Skull Saloon, 108 W. Union St., only has a permit to serve wine and beer. Owner Chris Wolf applied for a permit to serve liquor in 1994 and is still on the waiting list.
Although the license limit prevents new bars from coming to Athens, large chain restaurants like Ruby Tuesday can apply for new permits because they create more jobs and bring in more money than the average bar, said Larry Payne, membership service coordinator for the Athens Chamber of Commerce. -
Bradley said.
Many restaurants now allow for patrons to bring their own alcohol, said Seven Sauces owner Janne Wernet.
We don't condone or refuse it (bringing alcohol) Bradley said.
Bringing alcohol to a restaurant is illegal because of open container laws, said Julie Hinds, spokesperson of the Ohio Department of Public Safety.
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