Gourmet hamburger chain Red Robin is hoping to open a restaurant at 56 Chambers Bridge Road, in Brick Plaza, and is now inquiring about the availability of liquor licenses.
Two liquor licenses are available in Brick, said Township Clerk Lynette Iannarone, who received Red Robin's inquiry in a Dec. 20 letter.
Red Robin is in the "due diligence stage of building a new restaurant," wrote Jake Schlueter, senior licensing manager of Red Robin, in the inquiry to Brick.
Should the township proceed to sell a liquor license, the process would be a sealed bid, with the highest bidder likely awarded the license.
Councilman Dan Toth brought up the inquiry at today's council meeting, suggesting a license could fetch $500,000 in one-time revenue for Brick.
The outgoing councilman suggested such a sale be routed into the township's surplus, instead of being immediately used in an operating budget for Brick. Toth said treating non-recurring revenue as surplus was a good fiscal policy and urged the incoming council to consider continuing it should the liquor license sale go through.
Iannarone said the clerk's office had responded to Schlueter to let Red Robin know the process should the township decide to sell a liquor license.
"Red Robin is extremely excited to open a location and we are confident will be a positive addition to your community," Schlueter wrote, saying that less than 10 percent of gross receipts at Red Robins typically include alcohol sales.
The Colorado-based company is looking to join a vacant existing spot in Brick Plaza, a heavily trafficked property that already includes Applebee's and Quaker Steak and Lube. Recently Joe's Crab Shack and Smashburger opened in the plaza.
In November, Red Robin opened a Cherry Hill location and also has a Mays Landing spot.
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