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Rehoboth commissioners set Oct. 21 hearing on restaurant ordinance

Proposal to install new regulations on brewpubs
September 28, 2016

A public hearing on new regulations for restaurants and brewpubs is set for 7 p.m., Friday, Oct. 21.

The proposal calls for outlawing craft distilleries and microbreweries that do not serve food and limiting brewpub production to 124,000 gallons per year. Brewpubs would need a supplemental permit of compliance that would require the business to obtain a permit as a restaurant and a second permit to brew beer. 

The ordinance also changes regulations on bar and seated dining space from 5,000 square feet total to 2,500 square feet of permanent seated dining area for restaurants serving alcohol with unlimited space for kitchen and storage space. Bars cannot exceed 500 square feet, and existing restaurants would be grandfathered in.

The ordinance has been the subject of some controversy, particularly the brewpub regulations. The final version of the ordinance was hammered out after a meeting between city officials and representatives from Dogfish Head, the city’s only brewpub. Dogfish Head objected to several aspects of the ordinance, including those on screening of outdoor storage of kegs and limits on wholesale sales for tasting events. The brewpub at 234 Rehoboth Ave., charged it was unfairly targeted by the regulations, but has since endorsed the ordinance.

 

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