CGS § 30-37j. Caterer liquor permit. Notice requirements. Exemptions. Exclusive catering services contracts.

(a) A caterer liquor permit shall allow a person regularly engaged in the business of providing food and beverages to others for service at private gatherings or at special events to sell and serve alcoholic liquor for on-premises consumption with or without the provision of food at any activity, event or function for which such person has been hired, pursuant to a contract between the holder of the caterer liquor permit and the hiring party. The holder of a caterer liquor permit shall not engage in self-dealing or self-hiring in order to generate catering events. The annual fee for a caterer liquor permit shall be four hundred forty dollars.

(b) The holder of a caterer liquor permit shall, on a form prescribed by the Department of Consumer Protection or electronically, notify the department, in writing, of the date, location and hours of each event at which alcohol is served under such permit at least one business day in advance of such event. If the holder of a caterer liquor permit is unable to provide the written notice required under this section due to exigent circumstances, such holder may provide notice to the department by telephone of the date, location and hours of each event at which alcohol is served under such permit.

(c) Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (a) of section 30-48, a backer or holder of a caterer liquor permit may be a backer or holder of any other permit issued under the provisions of this chapter, except that a backer or holder of a caterer liquor permit may not be a backer or holder of any other manufacturer permit issued under section 30-16 or a wholesaler permit issued under section 30-17.

(d) The holder of a caterer liquor permit and any other permit issued under the provisions of this chapter that prohibits the off-premises consumption of alcoholic liquor shall be exempt from such prohibition for the purposes of conducting such holder's catering business only.

(e) The holder of a caterer liquor permit shall be exempt from the provisions of sections 30-38, 30-52 and 30-54 and from the requirements to affix and maintain a placard, as provided in subdivision (3) of subsection (b) of section 30-39.

(f) The holder of a caterer liquor permit may enter into a contract with another business entity to provide exclusive catering services at a specific venue, provided the holder of the caterer liquor permit is available for hire at other venues and is using the permit at other venues. No holder or member of the backer of the caterer liquor permit, nor the holder's or member's spouse or child, shall have an ownership interest in the venue that is subject to the exclusivity agreement.

Short History

(P.A. 99-159, S. 1, 2; P.A. 00-192, S. 78, 102; June 30 Sp. Sess. P.A. 03-6, S. 146(d); P.A. 04-169, S. 17; 04-189, S. 1; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 09-3, S. 364; P.A. 14-135, S. 1; P.A. 17-160, S. 2; P.A. 19-24, S. 12; P.A. 21-37, S. 85.)

Long History

History: P.A. 00-192 added provisions, designated as Subsec. (e), re exemptions applicable to holder of caterer liquor permit, effective May 26, 2000; June 30 Sp. Sess. P.A. 03-6 and P.A. 04-169 replaced Department of Consumer Protection with Department of Agriculture and Consumer Protection, effective July 1, 2004; P.A. 04-189 repealed Sec. 146 of June 30 Sp. Sess. P.A. 03-6, thereby reversing the merger of the Departments of Agriculture and Consumer Protection, effective June 1, 2004; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 09-3 increased fee in Subsec. (a) from $350 to $440; P.A. 14-135 amended Subsec. (c) by adding provision re inclusion of manufacturer permit for a brew pub and manufacturer permit for beer and brew pub and added provision re backer or holder of caterer liquor permit not to be backer or holder of any other manufacturer permit issued under Sec. 30-16 or wholesaler permit issued under Sec. 30-17, effective July 1, 2014; P.A. 17-160 amended Subsec. (c) to replace references to Sec. 30-16(f) and (g) with references to Sec. 30-16(g) and (h), effective July 7, 2017; P.A. 19-24 amended Subsec. (c) by deleting references to manufacturer permit for a brew pub and manufacturer permit for beer and brew pub, effective July 1, 2020; P.A. 21-37 amended Subsec. (a) by adding “with or without the provision of food”, adding reference to contract with caterer liquor permit and adding prohibition on self-dealing and self-hiring and added Subsec. (f) re exclusive catering services contracts, effective July 1, 2021.