City sees drop in liquor license renewals

Officials cite pandemic impact

lowell » The full impact of the coronavirus pandemic on liquor licenses in Lowell likely won’t be known for awhile, but 2021 is starting with about a dozen fewer licensees.

State Treasurer Deb Goldberg predicted in December that up to 35% of retail alcoholic-beverage licensees and 20% of state licensees might not renew for 2021 due to the economic toll of the pandemic on restaurants and bars. In Lowell, the vast majority of liquor license holders did renew, according to documentation obtained from the License Commission, but it doesn’t necessarily mean that every business will survive.

City revenue from liquor license fees will also be significantly reduced this year due to a waiver offered to licensees for the first three months of 2021, a measure designed to help ease the losses of businesses hit hard by pandemic-related closures.

“As much as we do want to make sure that we’re trying to help out the restaurants and bars in the city, we also do have a fiduciary duty to the city, and that’s something that we have to take into consideration,” License Commission Chairman John Descoteaux said.

License Commission Executive Secretary Ryan Wynn said

Lowell collected $297,000 in license fees in 2020. According to Descoteaux, the city collected $245,000 in revenue just from restaurant and package store fees, not including special licenses for gatherings.

By waiving fees for the first three months of the year, license fees will be at least 25% less for license holders. Descoteaux said