Lawmakers want to see the aclohol-to-go provision for New York’s restaurants and bars be made permanent.
This week it expired with the end of the pandemic, which meant that restaurants and businesses who relied on that for a sales boost during the pandemic- watched it slip away without much fight from those lawmakers.
However, the fight may just be beginning.
Assemblyman John McDonald and Assemblywoman Pat Fahy both say they want to see the measure made permanent.
“Not only were the alcohol-to-go provisions highly popular, with 78% of New Yorkers in support of a permanent extension, but the ability to serve patrons ‘alcohol-to-go’ served as an important financial lifeline for primarily small, locally-owned restaurants struggling with the disproportionate impact the hospitality sector has continued to experience throughout the pandemic,” said Fahy.
Even as the pandemic regulations are eased- restaurant and bar owners say business is still slow. Others say they feel blindsided by the sudden drop, which wasn’t expected to expire until July 6.
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