'Cabaret' licenses listed
Pub Date: 7/1/2007
The Montana Department of Revenue (DOR) has release a notice regarding the availability of new restaurant beer and wine licenses, commonly known as "cabaret" licenses. The deadline to apply for these licenses is July 9.
Senate Bill 296, sponsored by Sen. Dan Weinberg, (D) Whitefish, and overwhelmingly passed be the Legislature and signed into law by the Governor, increased the availability of the licenses.
While the Montana Tavern Association was satisfied with the status quo, Mark Staples, MTA Government Affairs Counsel, said in an earlier Montana Tavern Times report that the group had to acknowledge that "some pressure needs to be released" from the quota system due to booming economic development and heightened license demand and valuations in some locales.
He said in the same report that it was eight years ago that the so-called "cabaret" restaurant beer and wine licenses were introduced and that they have in large part successfully addressed the problem, but that it is now time to make a further adjustment.
The "cabaret" licenses are restricted to allow restaurants to serve beer and wine at tables with meals only between 11 a.m. and 11 p.m. and allow no gambling. The holder of a current conventional beer and wine license cannot apply for a "cabaret" license until one year after having sold the license.
According to the DOR, eight licenses are available in Whitefish, five in West Yellowstone, four in Virginia City, four in Twin Bridges, three in Stevensville, four in St. Ignatius, four in Philipsburg, 11 in Missoula, 10 in Kalispell and four in Hot Springs.
Eight are available for Helena and East Helena, five in Hamilton and Pinesdale, four in Fairfield, three in Eureka and Rexford, three in Ennis, three in Darby, four in Broadus, 10 in Bozeman and Belgrade and 21 in Billings.
Source: The Montana Tavern Times, July, 2007, published monthly by Continental Communications, 125 W. Granite St., Suite 102, Butte, MT 59701.