Erie County Legislator Chris Greene has introduced a resolution calling on the New York State Legislature to make the sale of takeout alcoholic beverages permanent in New York State. Allowing bars and restaurants to sell drinks to-go boosted sales throughout the pandemic and would be a steady source of revenue for small businesses moving forward.
The Erie County Legislature has already backed two Minority Caucus resolutions introduced in favor of extending the program after it expired last year. As part of Governor Hochul’s State of the State address last week, she voiced her support for making the program permanent. It is now in the hands of the New York State Legislature.
Legislator Greene said, “During the height of the pandemic, the takeout alcohol incentive played a huge role in boosting restaurant sales. We need to do everything we can to get money into the hands of small business owners who are trying to bounce back. This is a great way to do that and I hope our legislators in Albany will agree.”
The resolution received the unanimous support of the Legislature Thursday afternoon. A copy of it can be found here.