Alcohol from a Mobile Concession Trailer (liquor, laws, drink, sale)
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I'm planning on purchasing a new mobile concession trailer to use in the local area and I am wondering what kind of licenses and what not I would need to sell alcohol from my trailer. I'm thinking wine and maybe beer to compliment the food choices I offer. I serve gyros, as well as burgers and southern cooking. Any advice would be helpful.
This would depend on your own state/county/city liquor laws. I would check with the various governmental agencies in your area and see what they say. Or possibly check with your local restaurant owners association.
I don't think you can buy a mobile license, at least not here. Here it works that you buy a license for wherever your business and if you want to sell beer elsewhere you need to get a "picnic license" of somesort to see away from your property. I may be wrong though.
Depends on your state/county laws. And in Florida it's not legal to drink in public outside of a bar/restaurant/home, so selling booze from a trailer for people to drink in the street is probably not possible.
I'm going on the assumption that this trailer will be visiting multiple locations, i.e. setting up at a spot for a day and then moving on (even if you set up at the same spot every Tuesday, for example).
It is state-specific. In NC, the administration of such a permit would be overly burdensome in both time required and money. You would need to get a single-day "festival" permit from the ABC for each day, and each specific location. There is a limit to the number of these permits that could be issued to each operator in a year, and it is around 4 if I remember correctly. You could only park on private property, if you wanted to use city property you would need a temporary use permit that will cost you some money. Depending on the town, you're going to need to erect temporary fencing around the "beer garden" location. And you are going to pay out your nose for liquor liability insurance. It's expensive enough when you're paying for a one-day event, I can only imagine the cost you will pay to *only* do 1-day events.
Contact your state liquor control authority and ask them. It is going to be difficult, though.
Laws are all over the place on alcohol sales, food sales, food trucks, etc., etc.
The only valid info you will find will be local to you, city or county permitting would be the place to start.
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