Ocean City Residents Criticize Dinner-Club Alcohol 'Loophole'

OCEAN CITY, NJ — Private dinner clubs provide one of the only ways to legally drink alcohol in Ocean City. Several residents at Thursday's City Council meeting criticized officials for allowing the practice to continue as a legal "loophole."

Even though Ocean City is a dry town, several restaurants and businesses can let members bring alcohol to their private dinner clubs. The establishments must have proper licensing and can only let members drink.

Three residents argued to City Council that the practice shouldn't continue.

"Within these (state) statues and codes," said one resident, "it specifies the clubs be organized for the pleasure, recreation or other nonprofitable purposes, that net earnings may not be to the benefit of a person having a personal or private interest in its activities."

The citizens invited all who are interested in the cause to attend a meeting about the subject at 7 p.m. Feb. 25 in room N111 of the Ocean City Free Public Library.

The City prohibits alcohol sales and public drinking. In May 2012, 68.8 percent of Ocean City voters rejected a "BYOB" ballot initiative.

Related article: 100 Years Since U.S. Prohibition; OCNJ Tells A Different Story

"This is BYOB on steroids for a price," resident David Hayes said of the dinner-club loophole. "BYOB is restricted to beer and wine, but the city’s new dinner clubs allow customers to bring anything — beer, wine, hard liquor, whatever."

Residents argued that the dinner clubs hurt Ocean City's image as a family-friendly dry town. The City prohibits alcohol sales and public drinking.

One resident at the meeting disagreed with those who spoke against the loophole.

"It’s about small restaurants trying to survive year-round," said Georgina Shanley. "It’s nobody’s business what’s done in the privacy of the restaurant."

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