Could Collingswood End Its Dry Town Status? A Century-Old Rule Could Be About to Change

“Did you remember to pick up a bottle?” It’s a familiar question for anyone heading out for dinner in Collingswood. For more than a century, Collingswood has been a dry town. While you can bring your own (BYO) bottle of wine or beer into many of the borough’s restaurants, you can’t order a glass of wine, beer, or cocktail with dinner. There aren’t any traditional liquor stores in town, either.

BYOB dining has become so ingrained in Collingswood’s identity that it’s almost part of the experience, but that could be about to change with new discussions coming from the Collingswood Board of Commissioners.

The Collingswood Board of Commissioners has been discussing whether the borough should lift its longstanding restrictions on alcohol sales, potentially opening the door for restaurants to obtain liquor licenses. The issue could ultimately be decided by Collingswood residents.

A grassroots group of residents has been working to gather the signatures needed to put the question before voters, while borough officials have also been considering the path toward a referendum. If the necessary steps are completed in time, Collingswood residents could potentially vote on the issue during the November 2026 general election. That would put a question with more than a century of history behind it directly in the hands of local voters.

Collingswood’s downtown has become one of South Jersey’s most recognizable dining destinations. Haddon Avenue is lined with independent restaurants, cafés, shops and small businesses, and its walkable downtown attracts visitors from throughout South Jersey and Philadelphia. But operating a restaurant has become increasingly expensive, and the ability to sell alcohol can provide restaurants with an additional source of revenue.

That has raised a bigger question for Collingswood: could allowing a limited number of liquor licenses help strengthen its restaurant scene and support the long-term health of the downtown business district? There could also be a financial benefit for the borough itself. Liquor licenses can generate revenue when they are sold, along with ongoing licensing and renewal fees.

At the same time, Collingswood officials have acknowledged that being a BYOB town is part of what has helped distinguish the community. Changing the rules therefore isn't quite as simple as deciding that cocktails are nice.

Even if Collingswood residents support ending the borough’s dry status, Haddon Avenue wouldn't suddenly turn into a row of bars; New Jersey limits the number of traditional retail consumption liquor licenses municipalities can issue based largely on population.

With Collingswood’s population, the borough could be eligible for approximately four retail consumption licenses. (And Collingswood has considerably more than four restaurants.)

That creates one of the biggest questions surrounding the proposal: how would those limited licenses be distributed? Would they go to existing Collingswood restaurants? New restaurants? The highest bidders? Businesses proposing particular concepts or investments in the downtown? Those details could have a significant impact on what ending Collingswood’s dry status actually looks like in practice.

Getting permission to issue liquor licenses is only the first hurdle... actually finding businesses willing and able to buy them can be another. Neighboring Haddon Heights provides a useful example: Haddon Heights residents voted in 2024 to allow liquor licenses after roughly 120 years as a dry community. The borough eventually offered its first restaurant liquor license with a minimum bid of $400,000...

Nobody bought it. Haddon Heights subsequently reduced the minimum bid as it continued trying to attract potential buyers. It highlights an important issue Collingswood would need to consider: allowing liquor licenses doesn't necessarily mean restaurants will be lining up to purchase them, particularly if the cost of entry is extremely high.

This may ultimately be one of the most interesting parts of the debate: Collingswood’s dry status hasn't exactly prevented it from developing a thriving restaurant scene. In some ways, BYOB has become one of the things that makes dining here distinctive. You can pick up your favorite bottle outside town, bring it to dinner and avoid restaurant alcohol markups.

For independent restaurants, meanwhile, operating as a BYOB eliminates the need to purchase an expensive liquor license. Allowing a handful of restaurants to serve alcohol could therefore create a new dynamic downtown. Four restaurants might have full drinks menus while neighboring restaurants remain BYOB. Whether that strengthens the overall dining district or creates an uneven playing field is likely to become part of the conversation.

There is. Collingswood’s dry status doesn't mean alcohol can never be produced or consumed anywhere within the borough. New Jersey has separate state licensing rules for breweries, which is why a brewery tasting room can operate in Collingswood despite the borough's restrictions on traditional retail liquor licenses.

That exception is very different from allowing a restaurant to operate with a standard liquor license. Changing the borough’s dry status would therefore represent a much bigger shift.

For residents, the debate is ultimately about more than being able to order a cocktail with dinner. Downtown Collingswood is a huge part of the community’s identity. The restaurants, coffee shops, farmers market, festivals and independent businesses along Haddon Avenue help make Collingswood one of South Jersey’s most distinctive walkable towns.

Add PATCO access to Philadelphia, beautiful older homes, tree-lined neighborhoods, parks and a strong community atmosphere, and it's easy to understand why Collingswood has become such a sought-after place to live. So decisions affecting the future of the downtown business district matter.

Would liquor licenses make Collingswood more competitive with neighboring dining destinations like Haddon Township, where restaurants can serve alcohol? Could they attract new restaurants and investment? Or is the BYOB culture part of the charm that helped Collingswood become a dining destination in the first place?

After more than 100 years, Collingswood may finally be getting ready to have that conversation. And if the issue makes it onto the ballot, residents could have the opportunity to decide what comes next. What do you think? Should Collingswood allow restaurants to serve alcohol, or would you rather see the borough remain a BYOB town?

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