Should more restaurants in Sitka serve beer and wine? Tonight (8-12-25), the Sitka Assembly will consider if it will petition the state alcohol board for six additional alcohol licenses.
The State of Alaska limits beer and wine licenses to one for every 1,500 people, and Sitka has just over 8,000 permanent residents, according to a 2024 report. That allows the city to have up to six licenses.
Sitka technically has already met the state limit for a town of its size, holding six year-round licenses and two seasonal tourism licenses that can only be used for half the year and are subject to different population limits. But that number doesn’t necessarily take into account the influx of visitors who come to Sitka, especially throughout the summer cruise season.
Sponsors of the resolution, assembly members Thor Christianson and Chris Ystad, want to petition the state to double the number of licenses Sitka holds in order to help local businesses expand to meet seasonal visitor demand and provide more year-round dining and employment opportunities for locals.
If passed by the assembly, the city will submit the resolution to the Alaska State Alcoholic Beverage Control Board and attend the board’s meeting in mid-September, where the petition will be considered.
Both Juneau and Haines have had similar alcohol license petitions approved by the board in the past several years.
In other business, the assembly will consider the city’s draft operating agreement with Highmark Marine for the new haulout and shipyard facility at Gary Paxton Industrial Park.
The Sitka Assembly meets at 6 p.m. tonight. Raven News will broadcast the meeting live, following Alaska News Nightly.
