August 09, 2018
A Bucks County supermarket secured a restaurant liquor license with the highest bid during a recent auction.
Giant Food Stores, which has opened beer and wine eateries at a number of its stores in recent years, purchased the liquor license for $351,001 for its store at 5858 Easton Road in Plumsteadville.
In Montgomery County, the P.J.W. Restaurant Holding, LLC, the entity behind the P.J. Whelihan's, The Pour House and The Chophouse dining concepts, bid $250,150 to win a liquor license in Springfield Township. (A P.J.W. spokeswoman said Wednesday it had no other information to share at this time about possible plans for a restaurant in Springfield.)
Among the top bidders for 19 licenses statewide was Jason B. Gordon, who secured a license in Philadelphia for $165,000, according to the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board.
The winning bids ranged from Giant's $351,001 to $25,331 for licenses in Bradford and Clinton counties, the PLCB announced. The average winning bid was $97,928. The number of bids received for each license that received bids ranged from one to seven.
Auction revenue recognized in fiscal year 2016-17 and thus far in 2017-18 totals $21.5 million, while another $4 million remains in escrow, pending license approvals, the PLCB said.
