The Covid-19 pandemic in 2020 left many businesses shuttered for longer than they ever expected. One of the most affected industries included restaurants, hotels and entertainment venues. Nearly 400,000 jobs where people dine or consume beverages were lost due to the pandemic; leaving many restaurateurs and owners wondering what they can do to save their businesses.
In order to rebuild our local hospitality industry serving thousands of residents, the City of Atlanta stepped up to help restaurants by passing an ordinance to allow restaurants to offer on-street dining (Dec 2020) for proper social distancing and dine-in space. Also, Georgia passed a law to allow licensed alcohol retailers to deliver beer and wine to customers with to-go orders. With reduced curfews and capacity restrictions, these added capabilities have provided an upside to restaurants for pandemic recovery.
Now, the Georgia Senate has passed Bill 236 to extend the recent alcohol delivery law to cocktails in sealed containers with ordered food.
“Since its inception, to-go alcohol introduces a new level of temptation for people to drive under the influence. It also challenges open container laws that have been in place related to driving with alcohol. This could present a lot of issues to police officers and attorneys when considering alcohol related charges and cases,” Attorney Gino Brogdon Jr. explains.
By the end of 2020, more than 30 states passed laws to allow to-go alcoholic beverages from restaurants and bars. With the rise in drunk-driving accidents, it leaves many citizens concerned for their safety.
The Georgia bil, if signed into law by Gov. Brian Kemp, carries stipulations to keep the to-go alcohol packaged throughout the car ride and placing it out of reach – in the truck or backseat.
“As a business owner, I certainly recognize the value in passing this law. Small businesses and hospitality are the bedrock of Georgia and the nation at large. This is an opportunity for businesses to prosper and ultimately survive despite a devastating financial year. Ultimately, we will have to see how citizens respond to this new freedom and the care with which they consume to-go packaged alcohol,” Attorney Brogdon continues.
As we wait for Gov. Kemp to make his decision on this bill, The Brogdon Firm remains committed to your health and safety. If you find yourself injured due to someone else’s carelessness, please contact us for a free case review. We’ll provide next steps on how your story can be heard and resolved.
You can always trust our team to lead you in the right direction and serve you at every step of the process. Get started on a consultation with us to get the help you need, right now.