Seattle Weekly
Governor Christine Gregoire just signed into law a bill that would create a new state nightclub license—and the club industry is all over it. “It’s a positive development,” says Jerry Everard, owner of Neumos. The license will be issued by the Washington State Liquor Control Board, and will allow local jurisdictions to petition the board for restrictions on a club’s license. The law also drops the current requirement that clubs serve food for at least five hours a day. In large part, the law is aimed at letting jurisdictions know just whom they’re dealing with. Previously, the only option for clubs was to apply for a restaurant liquor license. A city might not realize from the applicant’s name that it had a club on its hands. This way, a city will know, and if it wants to ask for restrictions, the Board will hear it out.