Marc Vetri has just signed a lease to bring Osteria to the Moorestown Mall. Vetri’s name has been dangled as the carrot for Moorestown residents, who last year voted to overturn the town’s liquor ban by offering liquor licenses at the mall.

The path was cleared for the licenses just three days ago. Last year’s referendum had been struck down by a Superior Court judge who said liquor licenses could not just be restricted to just the mall because it was an example of zoning by referendum. The Township Council then created an ordinance restricting alcohol to the mall and nearby East Gate Shopping Center.

With the ordinance unanimously passed, the four liquor licenses were awarded to PREIT, which owns the mall. No formal word on who will get the other three liquor licenses.

Marc Vetri [Twitter]
Council: Alcohol OK at Moorestown Mall, East Gate [The Patch]