RBP

In Los Angeles, this is the Restaurant Beverage Program.

Rather than applying for a Conditional Use Permit (CUP), which is costly and can take months for the City to process, the RBP Ordinance creates two administrative clearance processes, a “General” version and an “Alcohol Sensitive Use Zone” version, for eligible restaurants.

The Department’s Beverage & Entertainment Streamlined (BESt) Unit can approve these in weeks, rather than months, at a fraction of the cost of a CUP. The RBP Ordinance went into effect on March 31, 2022.

The RBP application process is estimated to take about four weeks and cost about $6,000—nearly 66 percent less than a CUP, which costs about $15,000.

Nightclubs, bars, and liquor stores are not eligible for the RBP; these businesses are still required to obtain a CUP, which involves community input, if they wish to sell alcohol.