Swampscott BYOB Policy Approved, First-Year Alcohol License Fee Waived

SWAMPSCOTT, MA — Swampscott restaurants, and possibly civic and social organizations that serve food, that want to allow alcohol consumption on site without a full liquor license will be able to do so starting in January after the Select Board voted on components of a BYOB policy where none had previously existed.

The policy requires businesses allowing BYOB on-premise to require the customer to order food, consume only beer and wine purchased outside the establishment, not provide pouring, refrigeration and storing services, and not charge additional fees for alcohol consumption.

The final policy remained roughly the same as the preliminary draft that police liaison Angelica Noble provided to the Select Board last week, with the exception of the initial fee of $400 that the Board voted to waive for the first year only as a way to encourage establishments to take advantage of the business opportunity.

"My intent would be to have them invest in their business," said Select Board member David Grishman, who proposed the fee freedom amendment. "There will be some costs just from liability requirements and training purposes, those types of things. I think it's a small token and something we can do to ensure that the Select Board is doing what we can to be as business-friendly as possible."

The $400 fee was already substantially less than the $2,400 annual fee for a town-issued full liquor license and $2,100 for an annual beer and wine license — but the policy includes the same requirements for staff alcohol service training and manager CORI checks, as well as fines for non-compliance.

The policy is meant to set a standard that helps facilitate more business while ensuring responsible serving, and perhaps encourage restaurants to lay the foundation to apply for one of the six open liquor licenses that remain available in the town.

"You could argue that many things are a cost to the taxpayer," Town Administrator Sean Fitzgerald said in supporting Grishman's amendment. "But I think the cost of not having successful small businesses is even greater. The idea of trying to help some small businesses have the option of a policy that says customers can bring a modest amount of alcohol in to help them be successful so that perhaps they can come back in and apply for another license would be more advantageous to them, that would have a tiered cost.

"So I think this is a good way for us to say: 'Come to Swampscott. Open a small business. And avoid another expense.' They are going to have a lot of expenses and this to me sounds like a mindful adjustment. I see it as not a lack of revenue. It's an investment.

"At times, I think it's good for us to make these types of investments."

Under the policy, patrons will be limited to three beers per person, and one bottle of wine either per person or per couple, and would only allow alcohol consumption during hours when food was being served.

All alcohol will have to be unopened at the time it was brought into the establishment.

(Scott Souza is a Patch field editor covering Beverly, Danvers, Marblehead, Peabody, Salem and Swampscott. He can be reached at Scott.Souza@Patch.com. Twitter: @Scott_Souza.)