Wyoming makes more bar and grill licenses available Friday

The city clerk’s office in Cheyenne receives inquiries all the time about available bar and grill licenses from people who are planning to establish restaurants in the capital city, a spokesman said Monday.

Beginning Friday, those Cheyenne entrepreneurs can apply for three additional licenses.

The state Legislature last winter passed a bill to increase the number of bar and grill licenses to fit the new U.S. Census figures.

Under the new law, Cheyenne is now eligible for eight bar and grill licenses. Five have already been issued but one of those was turned back to the city, said Cheyenne Deputy City Clerk Kristy Anderson. Elsewhere, the city Casper will be allowed to issue three additional bar and grill licenses to the four already issued, city spokesman Pete Meyers said.

“We have no outstanding requests for them,” he added.

The Legislature in 2006 authorized the new type of liquor license.

Sen. Marty Martin, D-Superior, sponsor of the 2011 bill, said the bar and grill license fills a need for restaurant operators who don’t want a full retail liquor license but want more than a restaurant liquor license allows.

A full liquor license allows sales on and off premises, including catering for private parties.

A restaurant liquor license allows alcohol to be served in the dining areas only and requires that 60 percent of gross sales come from food sales.

The bar and grill license is essentially a restaurant license that allows a bar but requires that 60 percent of the gross sales come from food. The license doesn’t allow catering permits or off-premise sales.

“When you look at the type of restaurants that are moving into areas like Cheyenne, the bar and grill license works well for them,” Martin said.

He mentioned Outback Steakhouse and Olive Garden as restaurants that have bars separate from eating areas and are suitable for bar and grill licenses.

When Martin sponsored a bill two years ago to increase the number of bar and grill licenses, the Wyoming Liquor Dealers Association opposed it.

The bill failed on third reading in the Senate by a 15-13 vote.

“The members felt threatened by it, but now they must realize it doesn’t impact what they’re doing,” Martin said.

Martin said communities have more control over the bar and grill licenses because the licenses come back to the municipalities when they are no longer in use.

The people who hold the bar and grill licenses can’t use them for a “retirement fund,” as some people regard full retail licenses that can command hundreds of thousands of dollars, he said.

The new law authorizes a total of 188 bar and grill licenses, an increase over the current authorization of 131.

There are 955 retail liquor licenses statewide, according to the Wyoming Liquor Dealers Association.

Martin noted that there is little demand for the bar and grill licenses from the smaller communities. For example, only Casper and Evansville issued licenses out of the 10 currently available in Natrona County.

In Campbell County, Gillette holds all three of the bar and grill licenses currently authorized. The county is entitled to one more license beginning Friday.