Restaurant License Auction

12th Auction of Expired Restaurant Licenses Now Open - Bids Due Sept. 25

An invitation for bids is now open for the award of 20 expired restaurant licenses in the 12th license auction since Act 39 became effective in August 2016. 

This auction includes one license in each of the following 20 counties: Allegheny, Beaver, Berks, Bradford, Clearfield, Clinton, Delaware, Erie, Greene, Indiana, Lackawanna, Lebanon, Luzerne, Lycoming, Montgomery, Northampton, Northumberland, Pike, Potter and Somerset.

Bids for this restaurant license auction are due by noon Monday, Sept. 25. The 12th auction will again use a sealed bid process. Bids will be opened Wednesday, Sept. 27, and auction winners will be determined soon thereafter.

The minimum bid for each license is $25,000, and each bid must be accompanied by a bid surety of $5,000 or 5% of the total bid amount – whichever is higher – to avoid frivolous and underfunded bids. 

The highest responsive bidder for each license will win the right to submit an application for the license to the PLCB within six months of auction award. If bid payment is not received within two weeks of auction award, the second-highest bidder will have the opportunity to apply for the license. Bids will be held in escrow by the PLCB, pending approval of the license application.

The Invitation for Bids is available online (scroll down to "Related Solicitation Files," and click the links to view).  

Bidders with questions regarding this invitation for bids must submit inquiries via email to RA-LBLicenseAuction@pa.gov by noon Friday, Aug. 25. Questions and answers will be posted to the Department of General Services e-marketplace website by 3:00 PM Tuesday, Aug. 29.