So, you have the business plan, found the location and now you are needing to add a liquor license so you can sell alcohol at your new location. Well the good news is that there are many licenses available that would only require a yearly fee. If you are only serving beer and wine on premise, you would need a 2cop license. This allows you to sell beer, wine and wine based alcoholic beverages and are relatively easy to get as long as your location qualifies. Check with your local zoning department and look at your lease and/or contact your Landlord to make sure it is allowable. You can get an application from the state website at www.myfloridalicense.com and download abt-6001 for new licenses applications. These types of licenses typically cost around $400-$500 per year and are renewed every year. If you need to add full liquor to your establishment and are a bona-fide restaurant that meets the state requirements, you can apply for a 4cop SFS License. These licenses allow you to serve beer,wine, and spirits but have requirements that you must maintain. The main requirement would be maintaining 51% of your sales being derived from non alcoholic sales. If you do not meet these requirements and wish to sell alcohol, you will need to obtain a Quota License which are typically sold on the open market and purchased from an exisiting owner. They do raffel off licenses once a year but there are no guarantees that one will be placed into the raffel and if they did, you would still have to be very lucky to win one. Pretty much, you wouldnt base your future success on winning the lottery but would be nice if it happened. Contact me if you have any questions or need assistance in applying for or finding an available license to purchase.
How do I apply for a liquor license in Florida?
Updated: Feb 6, 2023
