Restaurant and bar license types, explained
Every state names its licenses differently, and the type on a filing tells a seller a lot: full bar or beer and wine, restaurant or bar, on site or to go. These guides are built from the filings we read every day.
California ABC license types
32 license types filed in 90 days. Most common: On-Sale Beer & Wine - Eating Place (type 41), On-Sale General - Eating Place (type 47), Off-Sale Beer & Wine (type 20).
Texas TABC license types
13 license types filed in 90 days. Most common: Mixed Beverage Permit (MB), Wine and Malt Beverage Retailer's Permit (BG), Wine and Malt Beverage Retailer's Off-Premise Permit (BQ).
New York SLA license types
59 license types filed in 90 days. Most common: Off-premises beer: grocery store (class 81), On-premises liquor: restaurant (class 340), On-premises liquor: food and beverage business (class 370).
Florida DBPR license types
30 license types filed in 90 days. Most common: Food service, seating, Mobile food dispensing vehicle, Beer and wine, on-premises consumption.
Reading a license type in one minute
- On-premise or off-premise. On-premise licenses (drinks served on site) are restaurants and bars. Off-premise licenses are stores selling to take away.
- Beer and wine, or general. A general or mixed beverage license adds spirits, which usually means a bar program and a bigger build-out.
- Eating place or public premises. Many states separate restaurants (food is the main business, minors allowed) from bars (no minors, food optional).
- Original or transfer. An original application is a new license at that address. A transfer moves an existing license to a new owner or location.
Tomorrow's filings, in your inbox by breakfast
Every state, every filter, CSV and webhook. $25 a month after a 7-day free trial. No card to start.