TABC Database help? (51% for a locale near me...)

[Scott in Houston]

I've seen people reference this DB, but am curious as to how or where it is.

One reason I ask is, we moved into the Memorial area of Houston, and there is a restaurant & bar combo place nearby. We went the other night, and I left my gun in the car just in case, but when I went in, I couldn't find any signage of any type.

The restaurant is Hungry's and is connected to NEXTDOOR bar & lounge.
They share the same outdoor patio and I asked the waiter if they share a liquor license. He said, 'yes', and said if you order from Hungry's I can bring a drink from NEXTDOOR to your table.

They appear to run sort of like 2 separate entities, but they're not.

I didn't want to ask for the license and look for "sign=red", so I just left it at that. I'd like to know though since it's nearby and we'll likely go again. It's a good restaurant. And when my wife wants a glass of wine, I'd like to be able to go and carry (and not drink).

Any help is appreciated.

[srothstein]

The database that people are referring to is the Public Inquiry page on TABC's home page. A few years back, TABC created a query system that allows you to look at all of the licenses in a county or specific area. While you can get there by clicking on the links from http://www.tabc.state.tx.us/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;, the direct link to the most commonly used public inquiry database is http://www.tabc.state.tx.us/PublicInquiry/Roster.aspx" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

The biggest problem with the database is that it doesn't properly answer the question of 51% or not. The license list does not show the sign=red or not, that is only on the license itself. You can get some answers by looking for the subordinate licenses. If there is one that says type FB, that means they have a food and beverage certificate. If they have this certificate, it means that 51% of their income comes from food. Obviously, this precludes them from being a 51% location for carrying purposes. The bad news is that this is a voluntary certificate. It offers a licensee a few benefits, but they may not see it as helpful to them. Also, there are places like movie houses, here the 51% is not from either food or alcohol. So, not having the FB listed does not make the location 51%, it makes it unknown for us.

The end result is that we cannot say for sure if someplace is a 51% location by checking on the list, but we can sometimes say for sure what is not.

And, to answer your specific question, there are two Hungry's listed int he database. One is on Rice and one is on Memorial. There is no Nextdoor's listed in the database. And both of the Hungry's are listed as having the FB certificate. My conclusion would be that Nextdoor's truly is part of Hungry's and that the license covers both premises and is in Hungry's name. So, you can carry in Hungry's next time you eat there.

Also, just as a reminder, and not something to count on, but if a location is not properly posted for the 51%, it is a defense to prosecution. You might get arrested, but should (not guaranteed but should) win if it gets to a trial.

[Scott in Houston]

Thanks Steve!

This forum is amazing. What great info and help. I really appreciate it.

[ss1088]

If the place has a full kitchen, it is 99% likely that it is not a 51% location.

[hirundo82]

As Steve said, the only way to know from TABC's website that an establishment is not 51% is the presence of a FB certificate, but not all non-51% restaurants have one.

I have this page bookmarked. It lets you search for a license by address, trade name, owner's name, etc.

[Kythas]

Also be sure to check http://texas3006.com. You can enter information there when you find a 30.06 or 51% business and, if someone's entered a business, you should be able to find it.

However, just because a business is not listed there doesn't mean it's not 30.06 or 51%. It could be that it just hasn't yet been entered.

[RHenriksen]

The biggest problem with the database is that it doesn't properly answer the question of 51% or not.

Happy to report that this is no longer the case, as of this week!

See:

viewtopic.php?f=7&t=45112" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[phrogg]

The restaurant is Hungry's and is connected to NEXTDOOR bar & lounge.
They share the same outdoor patio and I asked the waiter if they share a liquor license. He said, 'yes', and said if you order from Hungry's I can bring a drink from NEXTDOOR to your table.

And this is the "bar" that I go to oftentimes. The reason I go is because of the fact that its all under once license so I can go to what the work group considers a "bar" but is actually just an area of the restaurant. Their license is a FB license and they do not sell over 51% alcohol. I personally do not drink whether I'm carrying or not. So this gives me a place to get a non-alcoholic beer with the crew in a place where I can be carrying.

And I found the info through the links given by others on how to get to TABC. Its much easier than it was a year ago for me to gather that same info .