Crystal Stump (owner and CEO of ABC Consulting and former Virginia ABC Special Agent from the Alcoholic Beverage Control Authority) explains how to get an Alcohol Licenseyou’re your Hair Salon, in Virginia.
Pour yourself a drink; you’re going to need it!
What happens if you have a high-end nail salon and you want to serve alcohol? You cannot. The enforcement of Virginia ABC Authority sees that as “drinking in public,” which is against the law. Your patron could be arrested. And if you are selling a service or selling a product and serving alcohol, you are serving alcohol without a license, therefore, you can be charged with a Class 1 Misdemeanor.
You’re probably tuning into this video because you own a barber shop, a day spa, a hair salon and are wondering how YOU can serve alcohol, legally. If you operate in Virginia, you need to know that you must be licensed to serve alcohol. I will give you the specifics of the license, shortly, but I will tell you that many people admit to me that their nail salon or hair salon or day spa serves them a glass of wine. If they don’t have a license to do that, it is illegal. There used to be a license called a “Day Spa” license and it had specific requirements that stated that you had to have a massage services AND cosmetology services in order to be compliant with the license. That limited many businesses from offering alcohol as most salons didn’t have massage therapists. There aren’t many of those licenses in the state of Virginia.
If you are serving alcohol to your guests, clients, customers and you don’t have a license – you could get arrested. The VA ABC Authority is its own division that can arrest and investigate licensed (and unlicensed) businesses, in the state of Virginia. I used to be an agent with them, and I know that they do this. I know small businesses, personally, that have been charged by the VA ABC Authority, because they were operating a nail salon and were giving alcohol without having a license. When you offer a glass of wine with a $50 pedicure, the ABC Authority considers that a sale. It is important to understand that even if you aren’t really “selling” the alcohol, because you are selling a service, you ARE ‘selling’ that alcohol. I don’t want to see anyone arrested for this and once you are arrested, getting an alcohol license in the future is far less certain.
The old ‘Day Spa’ license has now changed and is now called a ‘Marketplace’ license. Now, if you own a barber shop, a nail salon, a day spa, a hair salon….you can now get an alcohol license without having that massage certification. This is fantastic news for most of the businesses that have tried to apply over the last 2 years.
I am glad you are tuning in so that you can apply for the license and apply for a license in the right, legal and compliant way. Here are the particulars:
- You have to “give it” to your guests.
- You cannot sell it to them, even as part of a service.
- You cannot charge more for the service that includes the alcohol.
- You cannot give more that two 5-ounce glasses of wine of two 12-ounce glasses of beer, to any customer, per day.
- You cannot sell the customer the wine or beer, separately.
- This license doesn’t include mixed drinks or other types of alcohol – only beer and wine.
Cost: $1,000, per year. And initial license applications have other fees (background checks, publication fees and application fees). I know exactly what you are thinking, as a fellow business owner. We cannot even sell the alcohol. What’s in it for me? That is something you’ll have to think about. And if you keep the license, and renew it annually, it will cost you $1,000 (today, that price may go up next year). Do I think you should get it? YOU need to do the math – look at your clientele and your business plan. This additional perk might give you a competitive edge. Truly, I love going to my favorite nail salon to get a mani or pedi and get served a glass of champagne! It is very nice to have a glass of wine while I am getting my hair done – it relaxes me. I enjoy that perk, very much. To be honest, I probably wouldn’t seek out a place that served alcohol with my pedicure, but if the stylist that I like, in my town, served alcohol, that would be something that I would enjoy. And I would certainly tell others about that added perk! You have to decide what your customers want and what they would enjoy. And would it increase your business, through referrals and add-on services? Bottom line: Will this be beneficial to your business model?
If you do decide to apply for this Marketplace alcohol license, the process takes between 60-90 days. I have another video that tells you how long it takes to get a license; please watch it! During those 90 days, it is quite a process. You’ll need several documents: your lease agreement, your deed (if you own the property), and your operating agreement are needed and reviewed as part of your application process. If you leave documents out or don’t dot all your I’s or cross your T’s, your application will be held up in red tape. If you decide to let us help you file the application, we verify it is complete and has no red flags. Head to our website, click on the wine glass (the retail application), and fill out our simplified online form. From there, we’ll contact you and let you know how much the license will be, how long it should take and what documentation you’ll need.
If you would like to schedule a consultation call, we’ll be happy to sit down and discuss your business with you and alcohol license. Or call 800-785-0161
- Art-Instruction Studio
- Bespoke Clothier
- Canal Boat Operator
- Day Spa
- Co-working Establishment
- Meal-Assembly Kitchen
- Hair Salon
- Nail Salon
- Barbershop
- Jewelry stores
- High-end nail salons
- Bridal boutique
- High-end clothing boutiques
You cannot serve alcohol without a license – and if you have more questions, we welcome them.
By the way, let’s say this charge isn’t fictitious. Let’s say you were charged with selling alcohol without a license. I suggest you immediately reach out to me. My company is ABC Consulting and we help all businesses and individuals with licensing, compliance and training. If you would like me to attend court with you as an expert witness, write to me at Crystal@VAabc.com. I am not an attorney – I am a consultant, but I do have access to expert attorneys, well versed in alcohol. Again, I am not an attorney but have been working in the alcohol-licensing industry since I was an Underage Buyer for the Virginia ABC Authority. I can answer all your questions and welcome your email.
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If you own a business or manage a business that sells alcohol, subscribe to our channel because our videos talk about what affects you, the business owner, in Virginia. We like to focus on Virginia, because our corporate office is located in Virginia, but we are not exclusive to Virginia. In fact, we can help license your winery, distillery, brewery or any business that serves or sells alcohol, all across the United States (and even some out-of-country clients). This channel is perfect for future and current ABC licensees. Each week, we publish a new video discussing different license types, compliance, regulations and trainings available for your business. Being compliant will save you money (and in some cases, even a criminal record) – which is the whole purpose of this consulting business – to keep you compliant, save you money and educate you about the ABC regulations in the state of Virginia (and beyond). Be sure to subscribe, like or comment on this video, and don’t forget to click the BELL notification so that you are notified, via email, of any new videos.
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