Bill > S2165

This bill, the "Saving Our Diners and Preserving Our Past (SODA POP) Act," aims to support historic diners and restaurants by establishing a registry and offering tax incentives. The Director of the Division of Travel and Tourism will create and maintain an online registry of "historic diners" (diners in continuous operation for at least 25 years, qualifying as small businesses, and meeting health/safety/zoning requirements) and "historic restaurants" (meeting the same criteria as historic diners but also being family-owned). Once listed, these establishments will receive a sales tax exemption certificate for prepared food and beverages sold for on-site consumption, valid for 12 months. Additionally, operators of historic diners and restaurants will be eligible for a tax credit equal to 10% of the costs incurred for purchasing eligible ingredients used in food and beverage preparation, capped at $25,000 per year for both corporation business tax and gross income tax. These tax credits can be carried forward for up to seven years and can also be transferred to other taxpayers. The bill also clarifies definitions for "diner" and "restaurant" and specifies that the tax credits apply to privilege periods and taxable years beginning on or after January 1 of the year following the bill's enactment.

Budget and Finance, Business and Industry

https://www.njleg.state.nj.us/bill-search/2026/S2165