OPEN SOURCE
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MOUNT VERNON — For the past six months, the most frequently asked question through our Open Source forum and emails has been whether Ohio’s Division of Liquor Control (DOLC) has decided who will get the liquor license formerly held by Rite Aid.
The answer is … no one. At least not yet.
Kristen Castle, director of brand and marketing strategy for the Ohio Department of Commerce DOLC, said 11 businesses applied for the license.
However, none of them met DOLC’s standards.
“When it comes to applications to operate new OHLQ [Ohio Liquor] locations, such as the one in Knox County, we have very high standards,” Castle said via email.
“Unfortunately, the applications submitted were insufficient and unsatisfactory. As a result, we have reposted the Request for Proposals for Knox County.”
Castle declined to share which standards applicants failed to meet or what the applications lacked.
“There is a wide range of factors considered during this process, including location, shelf space, technology, business plan, etc.,” she said.
Responding to Knox Pages’ questions about what happens if OHLQ receives no acceptable applications to the second RFP or whether OHLQ would pull the liquor license entirely and give it to another community, Castle wrote:
“The DOLC may, in its sole discretion, reject any or all applications if the applications are not satisfactory to the DOLC or if the DOLC decides not to proceed with the agency at that time.
“While we understand the disappointment, we did rebid the RFP in hopes of finding the right application for this location.”
Liquor license application deadline
The application deadline is April 14 at 4 p.m. Click here to view Knox County’s RFP.
The application and additional information is available here.
So, for the immediate future, Knox County residents will have to wait a bit longer.
