EASTHAMPTON — After months of effort, the city has secured eight new liquor licenses that local establishments may apply for, opening the door for existing restaurants and bars to expand and new ones to open.
“In order for us to increase Easthampton’s momentum, we want to make sure we have the capacity to bring on new restaurants and new businesses, so I think this is really a good step,” Mayor Salem Derby said.
The licenses were secured after Gov. Maura Healey approved House Bill H.5547, a home-rule petition filed by the city. Easthampton was first granted the licenses in 2020, just before the COVID-19 pandemic, when the appetite among entrepreneurs to open any business plummeted. The licenses soon expired.
Derby reignited efforts to secure the licenses after he officially took office last November, seeing that all current liquor licenses were taken. If the new ones are not applied for, they will expire on Jan. 1, 2030.
“Our restaurants, bars and small businesses are the heart of our downtowns and local economies,” Healey said in a statement. “I am proud to sign this legislation to give Easthampton more flexibility to create new opportunities for local entrepreneurs and bring more people into its vibrant commercial districts.”
Derby said the licenses can be applied for by restaurants and bars, not liquor stores. The additional licenses bring the city’s total to 39 on-premises consumption liquor licenses and nine off-premises consumption licenses.
Derby said he has heard from several existing establishments that have shown interest in applying. “We’re hoping to start getting some requests,” he said.
The bill’s sponsor, state Rep. Homar Gómez, said in a statement that expanding the licenses will offer more opportunities for local entrepreneurs. “Every new restaurant, bar or venue creates jobs, attracts visitors and strengthens the vibrant community fabric that makes our local economy thrive,” he said.
Derby said the approval of the licenses shows the collaboration needed from local and state government to move initiatives forward. The City Council gave unanimous support to pursue the licenses in April, with one abstention.
“I want to thank our partners on Beacon Hill for recognizing that by restoring these licenses, they are giving our local entrepreneurs the tools they need to breathe new life into our historic mill buildings, expand our dining options and write the next great chapter for our downtown,” Derby said.
State Sen. John Velis said in a statement, “I appreciate the importance of this measure for our local businesses here in Easthampton, and our city’s economy as a whole.”
According to the city website, all-alcohol licenses cost $1,563 this year, and for 2027, they will cost $1,663 plus application fees. The licensing process is overseen by the Easthampton Licensing Board, with oversight from the state Alcoholic Beverages Control Commission.
To apply or learn more about Easthampton’s liquor licenses, contact the Licensing Department at licensing@easthamptonma.gov or call Evan LeBeau, the licensing clerk, at 413-529-1400.
