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Bars have long faced a dilemma in unincorporated Clark County, Nevada. They must either apply for a tavern license, which is subject to various location restrictions, or apply for a supper club license, which is subject to substantial regulatory requirements, such as the need to ensure that food sales make up at least 50% of gross revenue compared to alcohol sales.
Due to the interest of gaining more bars without gaming, on November 21, 2023, the County passed a new ordinance, to expand the definition of a “full service liquor bar.” A full service liquor bar allows for alcohol to be sold at a bar, with or without food, and does not allow for gaming. Prior to the enactment of this ordinance, a full service liquor bar was only permitted in the Town Square shopping center.
Now, full service liquor bars are permitted in any “multi-use development” or redevelopment area. A multi-use development is a development with a combination of commercial and/or residential development on a single lot where the combined land uses are planned as a unified complementary whole to accommodate the functional integration of shared vehicular, parking, transit, and pedestrian areas on either (i) 55 acres of land or more next to a right of way at least 120 feet of wide; or (ii) 30 acres of land or more in conjunction with, contiguous to, or abutting a resort hotel. For example, Downtown Summerlin will now qualify as a multi-use development and will allow for full service liquor bars.
Redevelopment areas include commercial center and the area surrounding it, the western strip of land on Maryland Parkway between Twain Avenue and Desert Inn Road, and the south side of Sahara Ave between Boulder Highway and the US-95. The Clark County Redevelopment Agency is currently in the process of adding additional redevelopment areas and expects the ordinance to pass in spring 2024.
The full service liquor bar ordinance is expected to go into effect by the end of the year. Please feel free to reach out to Saltzman Mugan Dushoff, PLLC with any questions, concerns, or possible legal representation in opening up a full service liquor bar.
