Aug. 5,2024

Two new on-sale liquor licenses are available in the city of Sioux Falls — and sealed bids for them are being accepted.

The licenses will be distributed to the highest bidder or bidders. In the case of a tie, winners will be awarded based on the order in which they submitted bids.

Applicants have until 5 p.m. Tuesday to bid. Sealed bids must be submitted in person to the city licensing specialist or a designee at City Hall, 224 W. Ninth St., during regular business hours, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. There is a $100 application fee for each application.

Bids start at $240,646, which is a state-determined minimum based on what has been paid in the past for licenses. An on-sale liquor license is needed to sell liquor on the premises where it’s consumed, such as in a bar or restaurant.

BB’s Pub opened this year using a liquor license it secured last year.

Sealed bids will be opened at 10 a.m. Thursday in Attorney’s Conference Room 103 at City Hall.

Bidders will be notified in writing of their award, which is conditional upon the applicant’s eligibility, suitability of the premises for the licenses, use of the license within two years and compliance with all other state laws and city ordinances.

Full details, bid forms and instructions are available at siouxfalls.gov/liquorlicense.

New licenses generally are made available based on population growth, but in this case, licenses for Prairie Green and Elmwood golf courses were reissued as municipal licenses, creating two new ones available to sell.

Last year’s new licenses drew bids as high as $400,111.11, which was submitted by Birgers By U LLC, an entity registered to David Birger, who opened BB’s Pub at 5402 W. University Trail along Marion Road.