Food Service Requirements for Colorado Liquor Licenses

The Boulder Liquor License Lawyers of LaszloLaw on food service requirements for Colorado liquor licenses

Whether your business is trying to obtain a Boulder liquor license or a Broomfield liquor license or any other Colorado liquor license, Colorado state law dictates what type of food must be carried by each license.

The three most popular licenses that are sought by businesses are a Hotel and Restaurant License, Tavern Liquor License, and Beer and Wine License and each has particular food service requirements.

Colorado Hotel and Restaurant License

For a Hotel and Restaurant License, a restaurant can sell alcoholic beverages as long as meals are being “actively and regularly” served at the restaurant.  What this means is that a restaurant must have a real or bona fide menu. Further, at least 25% of of the gross sales of good and drink must be from the sale of meals.  A “Meal” means “a quantity of food of such nature as is ordinarily consumed by an individual at regular intervals for the purpose of sustenance.”

Additionally, any restaurant that is open for business and selling alcoholic beverages must serve meals between the hours of 8 AM and 8 PM. This of course does not mean that a business must be open between these hours–just that if it is open for business between 8 AM and 8 PM and serving alcohol, it must also be serving meals. After 8 PM, a restaurant can serve meals or can serve light snacks and sandwiches along with serving alcohol.

Colorado Tavern Liquor License and Colorado Beer and Wine License

Colorado’s food service requirements for a Tavern Liquor License and Beer and Wine License are similar. A Tavern is defined in Colorado as “an establishment serving alcohol beverages in which the principal business is the sale of alcohol beverages at retail for consumption on the premises and where sandwiches and light snacks are available for consumption on the premises.” Both require light snacks–such as chips, pretzels, or nuts–and sandwiches–which include prepackaged pizzas, burritos, subs, etc.  The light snacks and sandwiches must be available for consumption during ALL business hours.

Colorado Brewpub License

While not as frequently sought of a license as those mentioned above, a brewpub is a separate and distinct license in Colorado. A brewpub is defined in Colorado as “a retail establishment that manufactures not more than one million eight hundred sixty thousand gallons of malt liquor and fermented malt beverages on its licensed premises or licensed alternating proprietor licensed premises, combined, each calendar year.” A brewpub must be a bona fide restaurant with at least 15% of its gross sales of food and drink being food. However, for a brewpub, “food” here really means meals since “food” is defined as “a quantity of foodstuffs of such nature as is ordinarily consumed by an individual at regular intervals for the purpose of sustenance.”

Boulder Liquor License Lawyers

The Boulder liquor license lawyers of LaszloLaw represent businesses, including restaurants, bars and taverns, throughout the liquor licensing process, including providing representation for liquor license violations by existing bars and restaurants. Contact one of the Boulder liquor license lawyers of LaszloLaw today at 303-926-0410 or online to discuss your business needs.