Took me 6 months to get my liquor license sorted out in Hamtramck

I opened a small sandwich shop near the Hamtramck border last year and figured the liquor license would be the easy part. Nope. Between the city zoning board and some weird paperwork from the previous tenant, it dragged on for almost half a year. Finally got approved last week and popped a bottle of champagne behind the counter. Anyone else run into hidden hurdles that took way longer than the actual business setup?

2 comments

2 Comments

allen.kai6d ago

Six months for Hamtramck? That actually sounds pretty fast for that city. I know a guy who tried to open a bar on Joseph Campau and it took him almost a year just to get past the zoning review board. They're real particular about how close a business can be to churches and schools in that town. Did you have to deal with the old tenant's back taxes on the license or something like that? Because that's usually what bogs things down there.

phoenixw116d ago

Yeah I got hit with the back taxes thing. Felt like I was buying a car with a hidden lien on it, so frustrating. My accountant nearly quit when he saw the paperwork, poor guy.