Spirits on the premises

If there's a commonality among restaurants due to open by the end of the year, you can see it on the front windows, in blaze orange:

Liquor-license placards.

From barbecue joints in Center City and University City to a slew of bistros in the burbs, alcohol is in the mix. Not only are fewer BYOBs being planned, but some existing BYOs have elected to go the bottle route, such as Ristorante Pesto in South Philadelphia and La Fontana Della Citta near Rittenhouse Square.

It's not to say BYOBs are going away, just as budget-conscious patrons seem eager to seek them out. It's just that, especially in tough economic times, high-profit-margin alcohol sales often are the difference between success or failure. The boom in bars specializing in craft beers bears this out.

Here are some notable newcomers and the owners' best guess of opening dates, as of last week:

Hop Angel Brauhaus. Mike "Scoats" Scotese and Patrick McGinley of the Northeast's Grey Lodge Pub do a German beer bar, with food from chef Matt Hartnett, at the Blue Ox Brauhaus in Fox Chase; 7980 Oxford Ave., mid-September.

Alfredo. Alfredo Giannaccari (Newtown Grill) offers a midpriced Italian BYOB in the former Berwyn location of Trattoria San Nicola; 668 Lancaster Ave., Sept. 15.

Jet Wine Bar. A cozy small-plater with a global wine selection; 1525 South St., mid-September.

Speck. Chef Shola Olunloyo will serve ambitious New American cuisine, with prix-fixe options similar to his StudioKitchen private dinners, in the Piazza at Schmidts in Northern Liberties; 1050 N. Hancock St., mid- to late September.

The Khyber. Only it won't be called the Khyber. The Old City landmark is being revived as a casual, to-be-named Japanese bar (izakaya), with a small-plate menu, under chef Todd Dae Kulper (ex-Ro-Zu); 56 S. Second St., Sept. 28.

The Bottle Shop. Craft beers and snacks in a storefront; 1837 E. Passyunk Ave., late September.

943. Argentina meets Italy in South Philly, in a BYOB from Pascual Cancelliere (ex-M Restaurant); 943 S. Ninth St., late September.

Biba. Tria, the wine-cheese-beer bars, gets a smaller "cousin" in University City; 3131 Walnut St., late September.

White Dog Cafe. The University City landmark is up to new tricks with a Main Line branch; 200 W. Lancaster Ave., Wayne, late September.

Baby Blues BBQ. University City gets a branch of a California-based barbecue/lounge; 3402 Sansom St., late September.