ABC Law

Supreme Court of Virginia Oral Argument

The highlight of many Viginia lawyer's careers is an argument before the Supreme Court of Virginia.  Many ask me, what is it like?  Here is the basic procedure for writ panels, which is usually the first step in an appeal to the high court.

How Does a Restaurant Properly Calculate Its Food-to-Liquor Ratios?

Food to Liquor Ratios

New Virginia ABC Laws Enacted by the Legislature

Here is a List of Likely New ABC Laws in Virginia for 2014

(All the following bills have passed the House & Senate.  The Governor must sign them for them to actually become law on July 1, 2014.)

Bars Zoned Out of Business Cannot Rely on Prior Special Exception

Two businesses (Bar Norfolk and Have a Nice Day Cafe) were operating as restaurant/bars in Hampton Roads, Virginia.  They had been operating under a blanket special exception to the zoning ordinance.  After some ABC violations, the City later revoked the blanket special exception and required all af...

Restaurants Beware! One Bad Weekend May Put You Out of Business.

If you have ever gotten lost looking for a “bar” in Virginia, don’t worry—there aren’t any.  In Virginia, any establishment that serves alcohol is required to serve food as well.  In order to sell beer and wine, the restaurant i...

ABC License Revoked for Licensee Who Merely Filed Annual Report Late.

Can an ABC licensee lose its license to sell alcoholic beverages merely by filing its annual report late? Absolutely! Notice that we did not ask “Can an ABC licensee lose its license by failing to file its annual report...