This Passaic County pol's tavern is running beer sales at Hinchliffe Stadium

PATERSON — The tavern owned by Passaic County Commissioner Terry Duffy is handling beer sales at Hinchliffe Stadium under what officials say is a temporary arrangement until the ballpark’s concession vendor secures its liquor license.

Duffy’s Tavern in Paterson got the Hinchliffe beer and wine contract based on its popularity as a local watering hole and not because of its owner’s status as a prominent figure in the Passaic County Democratic Party, officials said.

The stadium’s developers picked Duffy’s business to sell beer at the New Jersey Jackals games at Hinchliffe as an interim measure, officials said. Eventually, the stadium’s alcohol concessions will shift over to the vending company owned by Vaughn McKoy, who was Paterson’s business administrator when Mayor Andre Sayegh began pushing the Hinchliffe rehabilitation project.

McKoy’s company is awaiting approval from the state for its Alcoholic Beverage Control license, officials said. Until then, Duffy’s will conduct the beer and wine sales using an off-site alcohol catering permit, officials said.

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“We’re not making a whole lot of money from this,” said Duffy, who has served on Passaic County’s governing body since 2004. “It’s probably more trouble than it's worth.”

“We’re filling the void for them,” Duffy added. “If this place does well, then Paterson does well, and Duff’s does well.”

McKoy said his company filed its state liquor license application in late April, right after the Paterson Board of Education approved a waiver allowing alcohol to be sold at a stadium so close to School 5. McKoy said the developers suggested that Duffy’s Tavern handle the beer sales at Jackals games until he gets his license.

BAW Development, which has handled the Hinchliffe project in conjunction with RPM Development, could not be reached for comment for this story.

McKoy said he hopes to get his state license soon.

In the interim, fans attending Jackals games must make separate payments for their alcohol and food — even though they are sold at the same concession area.

Duffy said he shares percentages of the beer revenue with the stadium developers and McKoy’s company. He said one of his son’s handled the contract and that he doesn’t know the details of the agreement.

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McKoy’s role in the Hinchliffe vending contract came to public light less than two months ago, when Paterson Press checked incorporation papers for the concession company seeking the waiver from the city school board.

In addition to the stadium concessions, McKoy will handle the food court at the new dining and museum building under construction at Hinchliffe. Officials originally tried to get a restaurant for that location but were unable to work out such a deal.

After being closed for more than 25 years, Hinchliffe reopened last month as part of a $105 million project that includes a 315-space parking garage and a 75-unit senior citizen apartment building.

Joe Malinconico is editor of Paterson Press.

Email: editor@patersonpress.com

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Paterson NJ Hinchliffe Stadium beer sales Duffy's Tavern