Comment by frollogaston

If this is one of those sought-after business zones in a rich area, there are only X slots to fill, and somehow it's decided who gets them. Take away liquor licenses, and the barrier will be rent instead. If you want lower barriers, there simply has to be more real estate available in that one area.

It's usually like this in other cities, the rich areas have high-investment establishments that play it safe. Maybe that's ok if you want something mainstream and/or high-end.