# Restaurant, need Pub Licence?



## clarecelt (22 Mar 2007)

At the early stages of investigating a cafe/restaurant and wondering if one needs a pub licence to sell alcohol. 

We are interested in a cafe/restaurant where we can serve alcohol but unsure with the licensing implications.

Any ideas welcome


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## Guest118 (22 Mar 2007)

*Re: Restaurant, need Pub Licence??*

You can get a wine licence for just wine, if thats any use.  I think they are easier to get too.


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## cheeky (25 Mar 2007)

You can also sell beer with wine licence as long as it is consumed with meal. Wine licence costs just €250/yr.


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## hotelieur (12 Apr 2007)

If you want to serve intoxicating liquor, you will need a "Special Restaurant License" which costs about, if I was not mistaken €3200 on first application then €250 on yearly renewal. The serving/consumption of liquor must form part of the meal service.

Below is some useful information:
[broken link removed]


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## Protocol (13 Apr 2007)

Licensing laws are complex in Ireland.

Part of the reason is that publicans, who have a powerful lobby group, didn't want cafes/restaurants serving alcohol, so they made sure that the laws are restrictive.

I suppose the reason it was easier for cafes/restaurants to serve wine was that publicans did not historically see wine sales as a competitive threat.

However, going against the publicans wishes was the tourism trade, who pointed out that it was crazy that they couldn't serve beer/spirits (produced in Ireland) to tourists having a meal in an Irish restaurant.

This is why the Special Restaurant Licence was introduced.  It is very restrictive, though.  There are loads of rules, e.g. you can't have a bar, you can only serve drink with a "substantial meal", etc.

It's hard to believe this, but every year the relevant Minister must sign an order defining what the value of a "substantial meal" is!!!


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