Farmers’ Cabinet Reopening With Full Bar On Thursday, Says Matt Swartz [UPDATED]

It has been a few weeks since Farmers’ Cabinet owner Matt Swartz was arrested and charged with forgery and selling alcohol without a valid liquor license. And by December 30th, the restaurant announced that it was closing, at least temporarily. But now, the Farmers’ Cabinet is reopening on Thursday, according to Matt Swartz.

“Farmers cabinet will reopen at 5pm tomorrow with full bar,” wrote Swartz in an email to me just after 7 p.m. on Wednesday. And the restaurant announced the same on its Facebook page.

That the restaurant would be allowed to reopen with a full bar seems a little weird, since the Farmers’ Cabinet liquor license is still showing as “inactive” in the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board’s licensee database, and, you know, since one of the restaurant’s owners (Swartz) has been charged with forging a liquor license, etc.

But, hey, this is America. Anything is possible.

God bless ’em.

Swartz is scheduled for a preliminary hearing on January 16th in Philadelphia Common Pleas Court. The PLCB could not immediately be reached for comment.

UPDATE: On Thursday morning, a PLCB spokesperson explained: “The licensee went to our Plymouth Meeting Office right before 5:00 last night and filed the validation form, taxes and fees so authority was issued.” It’s worth noting that Swartz is not named on the liquor license, or the situation could be very different.

So, Philly bars, take note: You can fail to pay your taxes, fail to renew your liquor license, sell alcohol with an inactive liquor license, and one of your owners can even be arrested and charged with forging a document relating to your liquor license, and all it takes is a 30 minute ride out to Plymouth Meeting to set things straight. Good to know.