Licensing Specialist

Overview

Thompson Hospitality is seeking a dynamic and results-driven professional to join our team as the Licensing Specialist. This position will oversee all licensing needs for new restaurant openings and licensing renewals for all Thompson Restaurants and Thompson Hospitality Corporation. The Licensing Specialist will, among other duties, effectively manage all alcohol license needs, including filing applications, renewals and amendments; completing all personal history and corporate organization forms; drafting and preparing alcohol license leases and management agreements; liaising with the finance team to ensure all state taxes are paid as part of the licensing process; and managing outside liquor counsel, as applicable. The Licensing Specialist will also assist on other (non-alcohol) licenses and registrations, such as business licenses/registrations and health permits. The Licensing Specialist will proactively engage and serve as a true strategic partner to the rest of the organization, working together with various department leaders to find creative ways to "say yes" while expertly managing risk. This position will report to the Senior Director, Beverage & Training.


Responsibilities

Licensing & Permits

• Prepare, submit, and track liquor licenses , food/health permits , and business licenses (initials, transfers, renewals, amendments).
• Provide hands-on, on-site solutions and support for all licensing and permitting needs
• Coordinate fingerprints, notices, postings, newspaper publications, local board/community approvals, and COI/lease exhibit pulls.
• Liaise with state/city agencies (e.g., SLA/ABC boards, DOH/Health Depts., city clerks), responding to deficiencies quickly.
• Communicate with locations regarding permit/license inventory, mail, renewals, violations, etc.

• Ability to work from VA/MD/DC with travel to FL/OH area restaurants as needed.

Entity & Tax Registrations

• Form and maintain LLCs; obtain and track EINs, registered agent appointments, and annual/biennial reports.
• Maintain a clean, current entity and license source-of-truth (numbers, expirations, fees, logins).

Compliance Operations

• Own a master renewal calendar with proactive reminders and checklists; achieve zero-lapse renewals.
• Standardize packets (forms, affidavits, floor plans, menus, leases), and keep templates updated by jurisdiction.
• Track fees, receipts, and approvals; partner with Accounting on payments and recordkeeping.

• Conduct in-store visits to audit licenses, permits, and compliance.

Cross-Functional Support

• Work with Operations, Finance, Expansion/Real Estate, Construction, Facilities, Events, and GMs on opening/transfer timelines and required documents.
• Draft simple cover letters, affidavits, and agency correspondence for CLO review.
• Support due diligence lists for new locations, acquisitions, investments, and corporate restructurings.
• Support insurance renewals; work with insurance brokers on COIs etc.
• Perform other duties as requested

Success Looks Like (KPIs)

• 100% on-time renewals; 0 lapses in licensure.
• All new sites licensed per opening timeline.
• Agency deficiency responses within 24 hours
• Responses via email within 24 hours
• Clean, current repository of licenses, entities, and tax accounts.

Qualifications

• At least one year in hospitality licensing, business licensing, or legal/admin work with government filings (multi-state a plus).
• Strong organization and follow-through: you live in trackers, checklists, and calendars.
• Comfortable navigating state/city portals, reading agency instructions, calling agencies in a professional manner as needed.
• Proficient with project management tools and communication tools (Monday, Outlook, Teams, Adobe) and e-signature tools; ability to learn other programs used by the business.
• Clear, concise communicator; calm under deadline pressure.

Nice to Have:

• Direct experience with liquor licensing (SLA/ABC), DOH/health permits, or community board processes.
• Prior paralegal training/certificate; law-firm/in-house experience; admin experience.
• Experience with entity databases (e.g., Harbor, Carta folders, or equivalent), Asana, Monday, and basic PDF markup.

Who We Are:

Thompson Hospitality is of the largest restaurants, food service, and facilities management companies in the country. We are highly built upon our values, do the right thing, do the best you can, and treat others how you want to be treated, which are shaped by more than 33 years of relationships with our clients, guests, and communities. We offer competitive benefits, see our website for more.

We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity. All employment decisions are made based on qualifications, merit, and business needs. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, or any other protected status under applicable federal, state, or local laws.