Alcohol to-go has been a great convenience! If you read our last ComedyTABC blog, you know that taking your drinks to go will be legal in Texas for the foreseeable future! Wooooo! Everyone benefits from having their beer, wine or liquor to go with their meal. Customers get the ease and business get the extra profit. So what states can you legally do this in currently?
Does your state have alcohol to-go?
Not all states allow business to sell alcoholic beverages to go. In fact, previous to all of the COVID 19 closures, only 12 states allowed this. Once restaurants faced closures, local governments allowed for deliveries in order to boost revenue for local businesses. Currently there are 23 states that now allow for alcohol to-go. Here is a current list of states that allow you to get beer, wine and/or liquor delivered and/or picked up to go according to eat this :
- Arizona.
- California
- Colorado
- Florida
- Georgia
- Hawaii
- Idaho
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Maine
- Maryland
- Missouri
- Montana
- Nebraska
- Nevada
- New York
- North Dakota
- Ohio
- Rhode Island
- Texas
- Vermont
- Virginia
- Washington
See your state on the list?
If your state on is on the list, congratulations! Remember all your local rules and regulations. Alcohol is meant to be safe for everyone! If your state is not on the list, there are couple things you can do.
Start a petition. Have enough signatures to go your government and explain why alcohol to go can benefit the state. Alcohol is a very large percentage of most establishments profit. It can add on an average of 30% more to a customers bill. It can also be highly regulated just like alcohol consumed on premise is.
Gather fellow business owners who feel the same to spread the word. There is power in numbers and finding other business owners with the same beliefs can benefit greatly. Alcohol to-go is safe when handled correctly and a great way to increase profit. Not only do business where this is legal take in more profit, there is also less risk. By patrons being off premise, there is less risk for the establishment. Don’t be fooled though. Nothing is ever 100% risk free.
<h2>Are their risk with alcohol to-go?</h2>
Like anything in the restaurant and bar world, you must always be careful. Especially when it comes to the subject of alcohol. All establishments must make sure that there to-go order follow certain rules.
One major rule is that the alcohol must be sealed! This a major one and is seen in every single state that allows alcohol to go sales. Beverages must not be opened whatsoever ever. Failure in doing this can result in costly fines and/or the loss of a liquor license. Avoid the nightmare and make sure you have someone on staff that checks all the to-go orders for this.
Another rule that is found in almost every state? Food must be present with the to-go order. A customer may not only order alcohol. Some states have restrictions on what the ratio of food to alcohol is but other, like Texas and California, do not. Make sure and check with your local Alcohol and Beverage Commission to see what the rules and regulations are for your specific state.
Lastly, you will want to check with your state laws to see how much alcohol is allowed. Some states have regulations on just how much alcohol can be delivered. Others, do not allow alcohol to be mixed with other spirits. Make sure to see what percentage, size and mixtures are legally allowed for your establishment!
Great for everyone, as long as we all play by the rules
Even with the restrictions this is very good new for! Alchol sales make up a very large portion or most establishments profits. Adding on alcohol to any to go order can increase a customers ticket cost an average or 30%. It is important to remember that because this a new law your local Alcohol and Beverage Commission will be on the look out regularly for establishments that are not following the law. You do not want to be on their bad side! Trust us. Not following their rules can lead to costly fines and an eventual lose of license. If if comes down to this, that means no more alcohol sales!
Make sure to let your staff know that alcohol to go is here to stay. It is important to keep everyone in the loop and informed of these new rule changes. It is even more important to inform them of the rules surrounding alcohol to go! All of your staff should be aware of the above rules but we also suggest have a specific person to double check that all rules are followed. From our friends who currently own establishments, they have the hostess, bartender or a designated to person double check every order that goes out the door. This ensures that you are always on the laws good side. Alcohol should always be fun, even to go! So make sure everyone is being responsible on both ends.
Have your staff certified for extra protection
Don’t forget that the best place to get certified for Alcohol and Beverage Training is right here at ComedyTABC We have an all video course that will not only inform you on everything you need to know but also make you laugh!
Whether you are a business owner or an employee being certified is essential in this industry. For some states it is legally required. In others, it is strongly suggested. Either way, taking an online course on how to properly serve alcohol can help both the establishment and employees from any legal trouble! In conclusion, it helps everyone out.
We have hired professional comedians to write our entire course in order to make sure you retain the most information possible. Why? Because we believe that learning should be fun. Also, it is proved that laughter helps your long term memory! Our courses are easy to follow, competitively priced and you get instantly certified. Once you have completed the course you can download your certification instantly!
