Marketfair shopping center in West Windsor has submitted a bid of $1,250,101 for a consumption liquor license that will likely bring another brand name restaurant to its Route 1 location, joining Big Fish Grill, P.F. Chang’s, and TGI Friday’s.
The record bid, now set for the resolution process, is more than double the previous high bid of $611,000 set in 2009. At that time Mac Acquisitions bought a liquor license for Macaroni Grill to continue serving liquor at its Route 1 location. Mac Acquisitions also owns On the Border, which is adjacent to the Macaroni Grill.
Marketfair, the lone invested bidder since the minimum amount of $1 million was announced back in June, was required to make out a check for 20 percent of the total bid and submit its application by July 19. Township Clerk Sharon Young opened the sealed bid on Monday, August 8.
The bid marks a potential new opportunity for West Windsor dining establishments. As reported in the February 18, 2011, WW-P News, a resolution was adopted to abolish the former regulations that limited the number of liquor licenses per block or strip mall to three. Old laws also required a space of 100 feet between each liquor-serving establishment. With three restaurants already in place at Marketfair, there was no opportunity to bring in one more with the ability to serve alcohol until a resolution passed. Adding to the dilemma, state statute mandates that consumption liquor licenses be awarded according to population data from the Census, and one license can be issued for every 3,000 residents an area has.
During the course of the year creating competitive bids for liquor licenses became part of West Windsor’s long-term outlook to boost economic activity. Young says the primary reason the cost of a liquor consumption license escalated from an asking price of $600,000 in 2009 to a million now is the opportunity Route 1 provides for restaurants.
“The mayor, council, and administration just felt that because of Route 1 there will be a lot of interest for restaurants to open. It’s an ideal location,” she said.
In the January 21 issue of the WW-P News Councilman Charles Morgan commented on the old regulations, saying that he could understand why the community would not want “a street with 15 bars.” For now four marquee restaurants that serve alcohol is a likelihood.
Out Below
Young said that the next steps for Marketfair is a resolution to permit preliminary liquor consumption, pending a background check.
