The Vicksburg Board of Mayor and Aldermen have approved resolutions to submit resort status applications for two local businesses to the Mississippi Department of Revenue.

Resort status, which is granted by the Mississippi Department of Revenue, allows a business to sell alcohol without having a kitchen and is given to the property, not the business.

An advertisement announcing an application must be published for two consecutive weeks to give the public a chance to comment on it and the Department of Revenue has the final approval.

Under state law, a business in a location with resort status can sell alcohol 24 hours a day.

However, the Department of Revenue in 2015 approved a request by the city to restrict alcohol sales at resort locations from 10 a.m. to 3 a.m. Thursday through Saturday; Monday through Wednesday 10 a.m. to 2 a.m.; and 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. on Sundays inside the city limits.

At its Aug. 31 meeting, the board approved resolutions seeking resort status for the Watermark, 1415 Washington St., a reception hall, and Toney’s Grill Seafood Market, 710 U.S. 61 North. The application initially included Toney’s 61 North Liquor and Wine, 652 U.S. 61 North, but was later amended to remove the liquor store.

City Attorney Kim Nailor said a letter from Toney’s owner Charles Toney accompanying his application indicated his restaurant is a popular destination for tourists and resort status would allow them to order daiquiris and consume them outside while they wait to be seated in the restaurant.

Toney also proposed to develop a daiquiri shop with an outdoor area for music and entertainment.

She said the Watermark’s application indicated the resort status will allow the owners to sell beer and other alcoholic beverages during events at the venue so they will not have to hire a caterer to do it.