Earlier this week the New York State Liquor Authority announced the extension of rules that allowed bars and restaurants to serve alcohol on-the-go.
Both are required to shut down at 10 p.m. daily to help prevent the spread of COVID-19. In some micro-cluster zip codes they are closed for in-person consumption entirely.
The extension grants these businesses with a valid liquor license to serve through January 1st, 2021.
However, those who run bars are split on the move. Those that operate in tight-knit neighborhoods feel like it’s a way to make some money during the worst days of the pandemic. Others feel like it achieves little for their business.
“The extension of the to-go cocktails means nothing in the grand scheme of things, to be honest,” Emma Sawyer, general manager of Savoy Taproom in Rochester to 13WHAM. They are going through a second round of furloughs at this point.
Two local bar owners who spoke to FingerLakes1.com but did not want to be named in this story said that business is a trickle of what it once was – even without economic restrictions in place. “They come here for the comradery,” one owner said. “Not the fancy drinks that some city bars are serving.”
Many are calling for a federal package that bails out small businesses instead of large corporations. There has also been interest at the state-level to create a sales tax-free period to help those struggling businesses. However, the state is facing a multi-billion-dollar budget deficit.
UPDATE: To-Go & Delivery has been EXTENDED to January 1, 2021
Guidance on To-Go & Delivery: https://t.co/zQITnyqeXI pic.twitter.com/mQT7EOXzes
— NYS Liquor Authority (@NY_SLA) December 3, 2020
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