PLCB Shenanigans

Garces Trading Co. Is Applying For a Liquor License

Garces Trading Company
Garces Trading Company Photo: Philadelphia Brownstoner

In a strange turn of events, Garces Trading Company, the market, cafe and BYOB with its own built-in wine boutique operated by the PLCB, is vying for its own liquor license, according to the Insider. The Trading Co. and the state-run wine retail operation it houses have been the at the center of considerable controversy, nay drama, since opening in February. The Coalition of Restaurant Owners for Liquor Control Fairness (CROLF), an alliance of local restaurateurs, recently banded together to file a lawsuit against PLCB for what it considers an unfair advantage. The arrangement between PLCB and the Trading Co. allows customers to purchase wine at cost, without the business bearing the expenses of a liquor license and liquor liability insurance. Neither Garces nor the Trading Co. are the target of the suit. The application for a liquor license is certainly a indication of something big happening. Is PLCB conceding defeat and planning a preemptive departure from the location before going to court? Or is Garces giving the wine boutique the boot? Right now, no one is saying much of anything. [Insider]

Earlier: Restaurateurs File Suit Against PLCB Over Garces Trading Company’s Wine Boutique

Garces Trading Co. Is Applying For a Liquor License