More Liquor Licenses To Become Available In Toms River

TOMS RIVER, NJ — Toms River will have three new liquor licenses available for businesses to purchase, if the Township Council approves an amendment to the town's ordinances on the licenses next week.

The council introduced the ordinance amendment June 8; it provides for two additional plenary retail consumption licenses and one additional plenary retail distribution license, for totals of 31 consumption and 12 distribution licenses.

The number of liquor licenses available in Toms River (and in other towns) frequently has been criticized by those supporting retail sales of marijuana, on the contention that alcohol causes a host of issues for people and should be more restricted.

"There's a liquor store on every corner," is the common statement as people advocate for the approval of adult retail recreational marijuana sales.

The number of plenary retail consumption and retail distribution liquor licenses available to a municipality is determined based on its population, under New Jersey law. The retail distribution licenses, which cover liquor stores, are permitted at one license for each 7,500 residents. The retail consumption licenses, for bars and restaurants, are one for every 3,000 residents.

Toms River is permitted to add the new licenses to its available list because its population has risen, according to the 2020 census.

Towns with fewer than 3,000 or 7,500 residents are allowed to issue one license in each category, NJ Spotlight reported in a 2017 article. Towns do have the option of whether or not to offer all or any of their liquor licenses for sale; there are more than 20 so-called "dry" towns that do not sell liquor licenses. Ocean City is one of the best-known, but Island Heights and Mantoloking in Ocean County are "dry" towns.

Most towns, however, sell the licenses to draw businesses and for the revenue they bring in, which can be more than $500,000. Brick Township received $575,000 in 2019 for the retail distribution license it sold to Corrado's Market for what was supposed to be a liquor store attached to the grocery store