SESSION WATCH
Died HOUSE · SESSION 2026

No. HB 87

Issuance of Special Beverage Licenses
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SPONSOR
Brackett
FILED BY
Robert Brackett — District 34, Republican [search donations]
EFFECTIVE
7/1/2026
DIED IN
Industries & Professional Activities Subcommittee
PROVIDED SUMMARY

Issuance of Special Beverage Licenses; Revises service area square footage & capacity of bona fide food service establishment that may be issued special license.

Full bill text →

Plain English Summary

AI-GENERATED
Shrinks the space and seating a restaurant needs for a special license.

Florida lets a 'bona fide food service establishment' get a special alcoholic beverage license outside the usual population-based quota, if it meets minimum size and seating thresholds. This bill lowers those thresholds.

The required service area drops from 2,000 to 1,200 square feet. The restaurant now only needs to be equipped to serve, and seat, 80 people at once instead of 120.

Every other condition is unchanged: the restaurant must still hold itself out as a restaurant and get at least 51 percent of its food-and-beverage revenue from food and nonalcoholic drinks.

KEY PROVISIONS
§ 1 Cuts the minimum service area from 2,000 to 1,200 sq ft moderates. 561.20(2)(a)

AIA restaurant seeking this special license needed at least 2,000 square feet of service area. The bill lowers that floor to 1,200 square feet, letting smaller restaurants meet the space requirement.

“a minimum of 1,200 square feet of service area”
§ 2 Cuts required meal and seating capacity from 120 to 80 moderates. 561.20(2)(a)

AIThe establishment had to be equipped to serve meals to, and seat, 120 people at once. The bill lowers that threshold to 80, so smaller restaurants can qualify for the special beverage license.

“equipped to serve meals to 80 persons at one time”
TIMELINE
3/13/2026
Died in Industries & Professional Activities Subcommittee
1/13/2026
1st Reading (Original Filed Version)
10/14/2025
Now in Industries & Professional Activities Subcommittee
10/14/2025
Referred to Commerce Committee
10/14/2025
Referred to Industries & Professional Activities Subcommittee
10/6/2025
Filed
STATUTES IT CHANGES
s. 561.20
+3 / −3