Liquor License Quota System
The PLCB's county quota system has artificially constrained the supply of restaurant liquor licenses ('R' licenses) in Philadelphia. When a piece of paper required to serve alcohol costs upwards of $180,000 on the secondary market, independent operators cannot compete with corporate restaurant groups.
Worked Data & Figures
| License Type | Average Secondary Market Price (2024) |
|---|---|
| Restaurant ('R') License | $185,000 |
| Eating Place ('E') License | $65,000 |
Common Mistakes in Analysis
- Relying on outdated 2019 baselines without adjusting for remote work trends.
- Ignoring hyper-local neighborhood variations.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the source of this data?
Primary data sourced from municipal tax records, Kastle Systems, and proprietary surveys.
How often is this updated?
We update these index figures quarterly.