Some East Lansing business owners and officials have little concern that a dropping population in the city will lead to fewer available liquor licenses.
Because Census 2000 numbers indicate a population drop of more than 4,000 city residents, East Lansing’s seven available liquor licenses would be reduced to five. The city already has 27 establishments that are permitted to serve alcohol.
Licenses are issued on a per capita basis, one per every 1,500 residents.
Pat Riley, owner of P.T. O’Malley’s, 210 Abbott Road, and Harper’s Restaurant & Brewpub, 131 Albert Ave., doesn’t expect a potential drop in available licenses to affect the possibility of new establishments.
“There are plenty of licenses available in East Lansing,” he said. “It is not going to be an issue.”
Riley said the seven licenses available in East Lansing is an oddity - most municipalities don’t have any up for grabs.
“Cost to enter a market with no licenses is significantly higher,” he said.
Councilmember Sam Singh said the lower number of licenses is a concern because there is a possibility of new establishments in East Lansing.
“The city has been aggressively trying to attract restaurants to both the City Center and the north side of the city,” he said.
Singh said because the city still has five licenses, it will be able to continue to attract new businesses.
“What (the reduction) does is lessen the opportunity to attract new restaurants,” he said. “But I don’t think it will have a big impact.”
Councilmember Beverly Baten agrees there won’t be much of an effect.
She said in East Lansing, there already have been attempts to be frugal with the number of licenses issued.
“We have pretty well stabilized as far as giving out licenses,” she said.
Baten noted the city is considering appealing the census numbers, so the final population numbers may change.
She said the city attempts to keep licenses available for certain situations.
“I know we are holding back a license for an opportunity to bring fine dining to downtown,” she said.
Terri Bettinger, chairwoman of East Lansing Merchants Group, said officials are considering the possibility of adding a restaurant to the City Center, perhaps the top floor of the Jacobson’s building, that would require a liquor license.
Bettinger said the city has a solid core of establishments that hold liquor licenses.
“We have a core of not only nice bars, but restaurants with licenses like Evergreen Grill and Harper’s,” she said. “If we didn’t have these anchor restaurants then it would be a concern.”
