(a) A restaurant permit for a catering establishment shall allow a catering establishment to serve alcoholic liquor at a function, occasion or event on the premises of a catering establishment, provided (1) alcoholic liquor shall be sold only to persons invited to and attending such a function, occasion or event, and (2) alcoholic liquor shall be sold only during the specific hours such function, occasion or event is scheduled on the premises. The permittee shall comply with the regulations of the local department of health. The department may waive the requirements of subdivisions (1) and (2) of this subsection for not more than sixteen functions, occasions or events of a catering establishment annually, provided such establishment makes written application to the department at least ten days prior to the scheduled date of the function, occasion or event for which a waiver is sought. The annual fee for a restaurant permit for a catering establishment shall be one thousand four hundred fifty dollars.

(b) Nothing in this section shall be construed to require that any catering establishment operated under a restaurant permit for a catering establishment be open for business to the public at any time other than when a particular function, occasion or event is scheduled on such premises.

(c) No organization eligible for a club or nonprofit club permit, or other entity established primarily to serve its members shall be eligible for a restaurant permit for a catering establishment.

(d) “Catering establishment” means any premises that (1) has an adequate, suitable and sanitary kitchen, dining room and facilities to provide hot meals, (2) has no sleeping accommodations for the public, (3) is owned or operated by any person, firm, association, partnership or corporation that regularly furnishes for hire on such premises, one or more ballrooms, reception rooms, dining rooms, banquet halls or similar places of assemblage for a particular function, occasion or event or that furnishes provisions and services for consumption or use at such function, occasion or event, and (4) employs an adequate number of employees on such premises at the time of any such function, occasion or event.

(P.A. 82-299, S. 3, 6; P.A. 91-353, S. 6, 7; P.A. 93-139, S. 20; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 09-3, S. 340; P.A. 16-103, S. 1.)

History: P.A. 91-353 divided section into Subsecs., and amended Subsec. (a) by providing that the requirements of Subdivs. (1) and (2) could be waived by the department upon written application; P.A. 93-139 made technical changes, added the annual fee for a restaurant permit for a catering establishment in Subsec. (a) and added Subsec. (d) defining “catering establishment”; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 09-3 increased fee in Subsec. (a) from $1,200 to $1,450; P.A. 16-103 amended Subsec. (a) by increasing number of functions, occasions or events from 4 to 16 and making technical changes, effective July 1, 2016.