Restaurant owners call on lawmakers to reinstate alcohol to-go

As COVID cases increase and more restrictions are put in place, restaurant and bar owners are once again making a push to bring back to-go sales of alcohol.

This extra service was first implemented under the temporary disaster emergency, established in response to COVID-19. However, when the emergency ended on June 24, so did alcohol-to-go.

Dominick Purnomo, the owner of Yono’s in Albany, says it was like a stake through the heart for the entire restaurant industry when it ended, because it provided them with an extra source of revenue.

Other restaurants say the beverage side of the business is the more profitable side of the business, and alcohol-to-go helped them out tremendously.

Hear what legal hurdles must be overcome for alcohol to-go to become reality again, by watching the video of Tessa Bentulan’s story.