DENVER — Colorado restaurants have been allowed to sell alcohol to-go for almost a year now, and that may not be coming to an end as soon as we thought.
A new bill (HB21-1027) advanced by state lawmakers this week would allow restaurants to sell alcohol to-go for five more years.
Gov. Jared Polis (D-Colorado) signed an executive order for to-go alcohol sales at the beginning of the pandemic in March 2020 as a way for restaurants to make revenue after indoor dining was suspended.
Polis then signed a bill into law in July 2020 that allows restaurants to continue to sell and deliver alcoholic beverages until this summer.
The new bill to allow to-go alcohol sales for another five years passed through the Business Affairs and Labor Committee unanimously March 4. It will now move on to the full House.
The Colorado Restaurant Association says this bill will be a lifeline for restaurants if passed.
“It's really important right now that our lawmakers take steps to protect this really valuable industry that really makes our communities, our communities,” Sonia Riggs, President and CEO of the Colorado Restaurant Association, said. “Every revenue source that they can derive is going to be crucial to this industry staying alive.”
Riggs said 93% of restaurants they surveyed recently said they derive revenue from alcohol to-go sales. She also said 24% of restaurants are saying that more than 20% of their revenue is coming specifically from alcohol beverages to-go and for delivery.
And while restaurants are able to ease some restrictions as the COVID dial changes to lower levels, they won’t be able to make a quick recovery as life returns to normal.
“Until we see all of the capacity restrictions lifted, restaurants won't even begin to start recovering,” Riggs said. “The other thing is, many economists are saying that restaurants won't see a return to normalcy for about three to five years so any additional revenue streams that they can bring in are going to help them stabilize and start to recover.”
If the bill doesn’t pass, takeout alcohol is set to end in July.
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