Could Seasonal Jersey Shore Bars Be Open Year-Round?
Take a drive around Jersey Shore towns like Belmar, Point Pleasant Beach, or Seaside during the winter and you'll see lots of empty bars. A new law proposed by Democratic State Senator Vin Gopal would allow bars to apply for one-day liquor licenses so they could open for special occasions like Thanksgiving, New Year's, and St. Patrick's.
The main reason some bars and clubs shut down is that the cost of a liquor license is too high to cover without a steady stream of summertime visitors. Being able to buy a short-term, one-day license would be cheaper, and having a huge crowd come in for St. Paddy's would let the bar make money.
However, the proposal is already facing some backlash. State Assemblyman Edward Thompson says
It blatantly disregards the quality of life for the residents of the 30th District that is affected by the seasonal licensees and strips the power of the locality and [Alcohol Beverage Control] to deny these licenses which is in strict counter to our constitutional responsibilities.
I get that some of the residents of Belmar or PPB are relieved when the Benny season ends and the town calms down, and those people don't want the bars to be open during winter...but if the bars only open one day at a time, I don't really see the big deal.
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