Popular West Chester BYOB Gets Liquor License

Avalon Restaurant, the popular Italian BYOB at 312 South High Street in West Chester is going to change from a BYOB to a restaurant with a licensed bar.

The West Chester Borough Council cleared the path for Avalon to start selling and serving alcohol when council members voted last week to approved the restaurant's application for an economic development liquor license.

After the vote, West Chester Mayor Carolyn Comitta told West Chester Patch that neither she nor the police chief are enthusiastic about new liquor licenses but that "this application was approved and there haven't been any problems at the restaurant." Comitta tells Patch that on balance, the license will benefit the restaurant and that under an "economic development liquor license, 70 percent of the restaurant's business will come from food sales."

When will Avalon make the transition from a BYOB to selling and serving alcohol? 

Patch was unable to reach Chef/Owner John Brandt-Lee immediately after the vote on Wednesday. During a call to the restaurant over the weekend, a restaurant employee said planning is underway but it was a little too early to know exactly what the timetable for switching from a BYOB to selling alcoholic beverages will take place. He predicted it would take at least "a few weeks or a month" just to plan.