Miami University students and Oxford residents have more places where they can grab a cold drink in the city as the number of liquor permits have increased and others have changed hands.
Most recently, LaRosa's Pizzeria was approved for a liquor permit by Oxford City Council at its Oct. 5 meeting. The permit, however, only allows the business to serve liquor by the glass for on-site consumption.
LaRosa's owner Melissa Engelhart, who heads up the business alongside her husband, said the restaurant should begin serving liquor Nov. 1.
"As of right now, we've got probably 12 to 16 different drinks that we'll probably be serving," Engelhart said.
According to Engelhart, many of the drinks will be LaRosa's originals that have been tweaked, including a lemoncello offered in various flavors that is similar to margaritas.
For now, Englehart said LaRosa's will serve a limited number of drinks.
"We'll always have the option to expand," she said. "I'd rather start out small and then expand."
The restaurant may soon be able to serve beer and wine as well, as Engelhart said plans to expand the restaurant in early 2011 to include a banquet room would qualify it for an extended permit. Engelhart said this may happen as early as March or April 2011.
According to Oxford Economic Development Director Alan Kyger, the number of liquor permits allowed in the city is limited under a quota system based upon population, but a number of businesses have recently acquired licenses through other means.
Kyger said based upon the quota system that allows one permit for every 2,000 residents, Oxford receives 12 D5 liquor permits, which allow businesses to serve beer, wine and liquor by the glass on site. Because of the population requirement, he said students have a significant effect on the number of permits.
"With our huge influx of students, it depends if they declare themselves residents here in Oxford or back home," Kyger said.
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While all of the allotted permits are currently in use, new permits have been given to Fiesta Charra, Patterson's Café and a number of other new or relocated businesses throughout the city based upon purchase of old liquor permits or issuance of new ones.
According to Kyger, Fiesta Charra received a permit based upon its new location because it met state stipulations. The requirements allow for a new restaurant of at least 4,000 square feet that cost more than $750,000 with seating for 140 or more people in an area with a population less than 100,000 to receive a permit.
"It's the state saying a good restaurant needs to have alcohol to be a good restaurant," Kyger said of the additional stipulations. "Fiesta Charra couldn't have gotten it at its old location."
Another business that recently received a liquor permit is The Woods Bar. The business' license was purchased from the owners of Church Street Station when the bar closed. Morning Sun Café also recently received a liquor license after purchasing an existing one from The Balcony after it was closed.
"Since there's only so many of them, they have value," Kyger said. "You typically sell it to the highest bidder."
Other permits, however, are transferred between businesses in different ways.
For example, Patterson's Café received the liquor permit from the uptown restaurant Pedro's because it had not been used within a year at the business' former location.
Similarly, Wild Bistro received a liquor permit when the assets of the former LaRosa's owners were liquidated to cover the business' debts.
Quarter Barrel Brewery was approved for a liquor permit to manufacture and sell beer at its Church Street location under other stipulations from the state imposed upon microbreweries.
"Their hope was to buy the old Church Street Station liquor license, but that got sold off to The Woods, so they had to get creative," Kyger said.
Still, more businesses are on waiting lists for the next available liquor permit. Kyger holds these files and monitors the businesses allowed to sell alcohol throughout the city and the transfer of these privileges.
For more information on Ohio liquor permit laws, visit the Ohio Department of Commerce at http://www.com.ohio.gov/liqr/.
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