By Jocelyn Ian
Relocating your business to Hillsborough County? Plan to start a new bar, restaurant or catering company? Before you apply for an alcoholic beverage license, it is wise to do some initial research. There are state rules and regulations to be followed, but counties may have specific rules too. Thankfully, there are professional companies that can help with all the steps involved in getting an alcoholic beverage license, and when needed, you can also consult them to renew a liquor license, which must be done each year. Here’s an overview of the basic documents, types of licenses needed in Hillsborough County.
The application
As in any county of Florida, you need to complete an application process to get your license in Hillsborough County. If yours is a new business, you need to decide on the location first, and along with your application, documents like Right of Occupancy, Revenue approval, Health or H&R approval, Zoning approval, and location sketch must be provided. If there is an issue in your application, or you don’t submit what is required to get that specific type of license, your application may not get approved.
What kind of license should you get?
This is a very unique question for every business. If you intend to expand in years to come, you may want to go for the right license at the start. This is also a reason why professional assistance can be handy for business owners and entrepreneurs. The cheapest license in Florida is called 1APS¸ which allows only sale of beer for off-premise consumption, with an annual fee of $140. For a restaurant that makes more than 51% of sales through sale of food and nonalcoholic drinks, a 4COP is required, while for night-time establishments that make most money through sale of alcohol, a quota license is needed.
Other things to know
Don’t forget to do a complete research on the application process, or else, ask the experts to handle the entire process for you. For both on and off-premise consumption, you need to pay more annually, and there is a fee to be paid for application. Make sure that you have considered all necessary aspects and your business plan before completing the form, and take your time to gather all the documents and approvals needed, because even a small error can waste your valuable time.
To know more about getting liquor licenses in Hillsborough County, check online now.
