A local restaurateur who had been running a profitable business for many years, recently purchased a three-way liquor license. This on-premise license gives the owner the legal right to sell beer, wine, and spirits in her restaurant. The cost of obtaining the three-way license was about $90,000, since only 300 such licenses are issued by the state. While the license is transferable, only $75,000 is refundable if the owner chooses not to use the license. After selling alcoholic beverages for about one year, the restaurateur came to the realization that she was losing dining customers and that her profitable restaurant was turning into a noisy, unprofitable bar. Subsequently, she spent about $8,000 placing advertisements in various newspapers and restaurant magazines across the state offering to sell the license for $80,000. After a long wait, she finally received one offer to purchase her license for $77,000.

Questions

1. What is your opinion of the restaurateur's decision to place the advertisement?

2. Would you recommend that she accept the $77,000 offer?

3.The restaurateur saw her business moving from profitable to unprofitable over one year. Knowing that all establishments with an on-premise liquor license are required to sell food as well, provide a factor or reason that may explain this shift in profit.