Liquor Licenses Sped-Up Under Cuomo’s Watch

This article was posted by Caitlin Nolan. It was reported on and written by C. Zawadi Morris.

Governor Andrew Cuomo boasts that, since he took office, the average waiting time to obtain a license from the State Liquor Authority has been cut in half —from six months to between two and three months —under his administration, reports The Times Union.   

"By quickly and efficiently processing applications for new businesses, the State Liquor Authority is assisting New York's vibrant alcohol retail and manufacturing sectors, supporting tens of thousands of jobs and increased economic development across New York state,” said Cuomo.   

But some say more still needs to be done, including Assemblyman Frank Skartados, who is a former restaurateur. "The success and failure of businesses depends on timing, and time is money," he said. "It continues to be a work in progress, as far as I'm concerned."   

Cuomo boasted that a lot has been done-- the backlog of unprocessed applications for obtaining a license from the SLA has dropped from 750 from the time he took office to 194 this month, with several programs helping to expedite the process.