Comic Discussion > QUESTIONABLE CONTENT
WCDT Strips 3261-3265 (11-15 July 2016)
Zebediah:
I'd actually expect it to take longer than 2-3 months to get the bar rebuilt. You've got an old building gutted by fire in what is likely the downtown historic district. It will take a couple of months just to get all of the permits sorted out before you can even begin to clear the fire damage, and that's assuming the insurance company doesn't try to screw over the owner (which they all too often do.) I can cite the case of a church in Arlington that took five years and multiple lawsuits just to get the insurance company to pay out after a catastrophic fire.
Looking at that level of potential hassle, it's understandable that the owner is thinking about chucking it all and running off to Tahiti. Especially when the bar's most valuable asset is still in his possession - the bar's liquor license. Each town in Massachusetts has a limited number of liquor licenses to hand out, and in most towns they are all already issued, so anyone wanting to open a new bar needs to acquire a license from someone in the same town who already has one. I can imagine the bidding war for the Nasty Whale's liquor license could get quite intense, and could allow the owner to retire with a nice nest egg.
Yeah, I know Jeph probably won't get into that level of realism in the strip - but Brun is likely looking at six months to a year before the bar reopens, if it ever does. She's going to need alternate employment and living accommodations for quite a while.
blue5:
Penny's bf worked in a bar, maybe she can get employment there?
blt:
--- Quote from: Zebediah on 12 Jul 2016, 06:16 ---Especially when the bar's most valuable asset is still in his possession - the bar's liquor license. Each town in Massachusetts has a limited number of liquor licenses to hand out, and in most towns they are all already issued, so anyone wanting to open a new bar needs to acquire a license from someone in the same town who already has one. I can imagine the bidding war for the Nasty Whale's liquor license could get quite intense, and could allow the owner to retire with a nice nest egg.
--- End quote ---
What a bizarre way of doing business. Is this just Mass or is this a common thing elsewhere?
Carl-E:
It's that way in PA, too. The state legislature is still fighting over freeing it up some. It's a holdover from prohibition.
OTOH, PA is the only remaining state with state owned "wine and spirit" shops. Beer can be privately distributed, but noting else. And beer distributor licenses are as tough as bar liquor licenses to get.
We're talking in the neighborhood of 1/4 million for the last one that was sold locally. And we're not even in a big city, where the competition gets fierce!
JimC:
--- Quote from: blt on 12 Jul 2016, 06:36 ---...or is this a common thing elsewhere?
--- End quote ---
Common enough thing in any situation where any kind of licence is restricted. Think airlines and landing slots. In many places taxi licenses are limited and would be another example. Just another kind of intangible asset.
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