An informational forum about liquor by the drink petition will be held at the Princeton High School Tuesday, May 29. If passed, this petition would allow individual alcoholic beverages to be sold at restaurants.

In an effort to bring more sit down restaurants to Princeton, information about a liquor by the drink petition is being shared.

The Princeton Chamber of Commerce is hosting an alcohol forum from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday, May 29 at Princeton High School.

Future developments and master plan are working with the chamber to share information for residents.

“Desirable, full-service restaurants will not select a location for a new restaurant if they cannot serve alcohol, placing Princeton at a competitive disadvantage,” the chamber said in a release.

The meeting will have professional experts on land use and zoning, alcohol permitting and law, and real estate along with other appropriate professions. At the forum, they will discuss the different types of licenses the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission (TABC) issues, the differences between them and what the Princeton petition would allow.

Beer and wine sales are already allowed inside the city limits at stores such as Walmart, however, liquor by the drink would allow sit down eateries, such as Chili’s, the ability to open restaurants and serve alcoholic beverages in Princeton.

According to chamber representatives, the alcohol petition efforts are for restaurants and entertainment venue efforts only, and not to bring bars or package liquor stores into the city.

In order to get the liquor by the drink petition on the November ballot, organizers would first submit a petition for application with 10 signatures of registered voters within the city limits to the city secretary. Then they would work on getting about 600 signatures of registered voters within the city limits. They would have 60 days to collect these signatures.

Organizers would then submit the petition with signatures to the Secretary of State and it would go on a local ballot, hopefully in the November 2018 election, so it can be voted on.

By Wyndi Veigel • News Editor • [email protected]

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