TURNERS FALLS — Visitors of the Shea Theater Arts Center will now be able to kick back with a cocktail while enjoying their night out, as the Avenue A venue now holds a full liquor license.

The Selectboard voted Monday to transfer the license to the Shea Theater from the former Hubie’s Tavern, which is slated to become a book store and will no longer need the license. The theater, which had been selling beer and wine but with a cap on alcohol by volume (ABV), now has the potential to generate more revenue, according to President Christopher “Monte” Belmonte. The community benefit, he said, is that showgoers may now have a cocktail at “cocktail-feeling events.”

“It would also give us an opportunity when we’ve done some of these more immersive theater events that definitely have a cocktail feel, [where we would otherwise] have to get creative with what the ingredients are with the ABV that we are restricted to,” Belmonte explained.

The venue will not feature a full back bar, Belmonte stressed. Rather, the theater would simply broaden its offerings to include “potentially either a pre-batched cocktail or some sort of canned higher ABV.” Another plan would be to serve themed cocktails on special occasions.

“It’s not going to be making Manhattans and dirty martinis on a nightly basis,” Belmonte reiterated.

Selectboard members Chris Boutwell and Matt Lord expressed their support following Belmonte’s pitch. Lord cited the theater’s unproblematic history serving beer and wine as impetus for confidence in his judgment.

“The fact that they have an alcohol program to begin with gives me some comfort in this in that it’s not a business that’s going from zero to 60 in terms of serving alcohol,” Lord said.

While Belmonte framed his plan to use the license sparingly as a positive, Selectboard Chair Rich Kuklewicz argued that its limited usage might be a hindrance to the best interest of the town. The town currently has no unassigned full liquor licenses to distribute, according to Town Administrator Steve Ellis, who called the licenses “somewhat of a precious commodity.” The former Hubie’s Tavern license, Kuklewicz said, could be more beneficial if given to a prospective business that might take full advantage of it.

“That license may sit in the town’s possession for a year or more, but it could be the difference between an establishment coming to town that would really generate some sales from the use of that license,” Kuklewicz reasoned, prioritizing the potential of Montague gaining revenue.

Although Kuklewicz voted against the transfer, Boutwell and Lord each voted in favor, resulting in an approval by majority vote.

Reach Julian Mendoza at 413-930-4231 or jmendoza@recorder.com.

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