Alcohol-to-go, a popular measure put in place in the early days of the coronavirus pandemic to help out struggling restaurants, is now permanent in Florida.
Gov. Ron DeSantis signed the alcohol-to-go bill into law at a Houligan’s restaurant in Ormond Beach on Thursday.
DeSantis issued an emergency order waiving state statutes to allow restaurants with alcohol licenses to be able to sell drinks to go. The overwhelming popularity of the move among restaurants and customers led the Legislature to make it permanent.
“They say necessity is the mother of invention,” DeSantis said. “And when the COVID-19 pandemic hit that really upended our hospitality industry, but particularly our bars and restaurants. ... So I said, ‘What can we do to try to deal with this situation in a way that will help them weather this storm?’”
The new law limits alcohol-to-go to restaurants whose sales are at least 51% food. Containers would have to be sealed and placed in a locked compartment or the backseat of a vehicle out of a driver’s reach.
“Countless restaurant owners throughout the state have pointed to the option of selling or delivering alcohol-to-go as really the critical link that being able to survive during the challenging times,” said Julie Brown, the state Secretary of Business and Professional Regulation.
