During its March 13th meeting, Plymouth Township’s council voted to approve a liquor license transfer from another township to the Plymouth Square Shopping Center in Conshohocken (Plymouth Township). As previously reported, the application to transfer the license was from P.J. Whelihan’s Pub + Restaurant. With the approval by the township completed, the restaurant will now have to seek approval from the state.

During the hearing, a representative of the restaurant stated that the restaurant will be approximately 8.000 square feet and have about 250 seats. The restaurant will have entrances at the front and back of the property (where there will be an elevator).

In the image to the left, the indoor and outdoor portions of the restaurant will occupy the space marked with a red x.

No timing was mentioned in regard to the restaurant opening.

Another Example of the Liquor Laws in Pennsylvania being Outdated

Pennsylvania law requires that a hearing be held by the municipality regarding this type of liquor license transfer when the number of licenses in a municipality is more than one license per 3,000 residents. Plymouth Township currently has 25 restaurant and distributor licenses (21 active, three in safekeeping, and one marked as pending). These figures do not include the license for P.J. Whelihan’s. Safekeeping means that the license is for a closed restaurant that has not been sold or reopened (for example Bertucci’s at the Plymouth Meeting Mall).

During the March 13th hearing, it was mentioned that the license for the long-closed Dawson’s on Plymouth Road is in the process of being transferred out of the township. So in the near future, the number of licenses will be 25.

According to the United States Census, Plymouth Township is estimated to have 18,293 residents as of 2021. That means Plymouth Township currently has one license per 731 residents. However, the number is actually lower because the state does not calculate licenses at places like hotels and golf clubs in the ratio.

Please note we aren’t pointing this out to say Plymouth Township is doing anything wrong. It is to simply show how out of whack the current liquor laws are with reality.