Market Tavern delayed by MLCC

Home News Market Tavern delayed by MLCC

The opening of the Market Tavern, which had been slated for Feb. 1, has been delayed.

The Market Tavern is a planned expansion of the Broad Street Downtown Market’s operations, a bar located inside the Market itself.

While few details are available, Mary Wolfram, director of economic development for the city of Hillsdale, confirmed that the delay was caused by the Michigan Liquor Control Committee not yet granting the Tavern a Class C liquor license. Class C is the standard license required for an establishment to serve liquor, beer, and wine for consumption on premises.

Wolfram decried the delay, calling it “government at its worst” and criticizing the Michigan Liquor Control Committee for interfering with “a small business trying to make something happen, to bring in economic development to a small town.” She said that this was not the first time the Michigan Liquor Control Commission have delayed the granting of the license.

“All [the owners of the Tavern] want to do is do their job. And their job is to make these products available to the public, as a small business owner. They don’t have the resources, and the money, and the time to spend, just to have the government allow them to do, honestly, what they should be able to do without any kind of license, if you want my opinion…It’s really a travesty,”Wolfram said.

Broad Street Market General Manager Cindy McCoy said the store was working on the problem with the state, but that she was “not at liberty” to offer any more information.

A query of the Michigan Liquor Control Commission application status database listed the Class C license application as “pending.”

While no specifics regarding why the MLCC did not grant the Class C license could be confirmed, an MLCC Public information officer did confirm that it is “not an option [for an establishment] to hold both a Class C and SDD [license].” The Broad Street Market currently holds an SDD (Specially Designated Distributor) license, which may be the obstacle to their obtainment of the Class C license.

At the time of printing, the Market Tavern website says the bar will open some time in February 2013.