Arizona state House Representative Jeff Weninger (R, District 17), introduced HB 2773, allowing for restaurants and bars across Arizona to once again sell to-go cocktails, legally. Bringing back one of the most popular features among consumers in the age of COVID-necessitated to-go dining, Weninger is hopeful this action will help the struggling hospitality industry recover from the challenges of 2020.
“This is an important win all around,” says Weninger. “This bill will allow local restaurants and bars to provide a service that their customers want while earning the vital additional business revenue to help them survive, now and into the future.”
Since 2010, the importance of takeout or delivery food to customers has doubled, with 52 percent of adults saying that takeout or delivery is essential to the way they live, and the COVID-19 pandemic has only accelerated this trend. As the Arizona restaurant and bar industry looks to recover from the pandemic, the sale of to-go cocktails will play a key role — allowing customers access to their favorite alcoholic beverages to pair with their takeout food orders.
“As a restaurant and bar owner with a series 6 liquor license, I cannot overstate how important HB 2773 is to our industry,” say Matt Fulton, owner of Pigtails and The Whining Pig in Phoenix. “Over the past year, the hospitality industry has endured incredible challenges. But one of the bright spots that has emerged is our customers’ embrace of to-go cocktails. As the industry moves from survival to recovery, to-go cocktails will play a vital role in ensuring Arizona’s place as a culinary and hospitality leader. I want to thank Rep. Weninger for bringing this important legislation forward.”
HB 2773 will allow bars to sell to-go cocktails and give restaurants an opportunity to apply for and purchase an additional permit to sell to-go cocktails. The bill also creates a statutory structure for third-party delivery services to participate by allowing them to obtain a license from the Arizona Department of Liquor Licenses and Control and setting a strict set of standards for the delivery of any alcoholic beverage.
“We are grateful to Rep. Weninger for sponsoring HB 2773, which brings customers a new and convenient way to access craft cocktails,” says Steve Chucri, president and CEO of the Arizona Restaurant Association. “This measure strikes a balance between respecting currently existing to-go privileges, which are the purview of certain license types, while presenting a brand-new way for patrons to support their favorite restaurant or bar.”
The sale of to-go cocktails is a growing trend across the nation with eight other states having already passed legislation and another 12 others currently in the process. Arizona has historically been a leader in the food and beverage industry, and this important legislation ensures the State remains a prominent culinary destination.
Dedicated to helping its members become leaders in their communities through building customer loyalty, escalating awareness of food safety and healthy living, bolstering a thriving industry and rewarding workforce, and increasing financial success, the Arizona Restaurant Association is the brainchild behind events that support the state’s culinary scene including Arizona Restaurant Week and the Foodist Awards.
