Let To-Go Booze Stay When Coronavirus Crisis Ends, NYC Pol Says

NEW YORK, NY — Those takeout cocktails from your favorite restaurant that have been getting you through the coronavirus stay-at-home order could become permanent.

Manhattan state. Sen. Brad Hoylman has introduced legislation that would "raise a glass" to New York's hospitality industry by letting restaurants and bars offer takeout wine, beer and cocktails even after the coronavirus shutdown order ends.

The bill would extend loosened liquor laws that were put in place during New York's State of Emergency for two years after the emergency order is called off.

Hoylman contends the financial boost from selling alcohol for takeout and delivery could help struggling restaurants rebound after their months-long closures.

“Let’s raise a glass to New York’s hospitality industry," Hoylman said. "If we want our favorite bars and restaurants to survive the crisis, we’ve got to help them adapt.

"My new legislation will allow bars and restaurants to provide beer, wine and cocktails for take-out and delivery for two years after the crisis ends, giving these establishments a much-needed lifeline while New York slowly returns to normal."

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Restaurant owners and officials have painted a bleak future for New York City's restaurant industry when the coronavirus stay-at-home order is lifted, with more than half of eateries admitting they're not certain whether they can reopen in a recent survey.

Nationwide, at least 5.5 million restaurant employees have lost their jobs since the pandemic began.

Hoylman's bill would apply to bars, restaurants, wineries, breweries and distilleries and let establishments sell only the alcoholic beverages for take-out and delivery that they are licensed to sell for in-person dining.

It would require beverages to be sold in closed or sealed containers, to be accompanied by the purchase of food and comply with open container laws, the senator said.

The State Liquor Authority would be able to revoke an establishment's ability to sell to-go booze should there be complaints from local officials. The board would also be required to do regular outreach and to hold public hearings across the state to hear from local communities about how the law has affected them.

New York's State of Emergency was most recently extended to June 6. The executive order gives Gov. Andrew Cuomo the power to keep all but essential workers on "PAUSE" until regions meet certain criteria to begin reopening.

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