A bill signed into law on Friday allows restaurants to sell beer and wine with takeout orders as long as the state of emergency lasts, something struggling business owners welcomed after weeks of sluggish sales.
The law, which requires that orders be placed by midnight, allows up to six cans of beer and two bottles of wine with each order. Liquor is excluded.
“Being able to sell alcohol as well as food is what helps restaurants pay the bills every week,” said Sarah Wade, chef and owner at Stillwater Boston on Kingston Street. “You have dinner and your alcohol at the same time.”
When Wade opened her restaurant last year, she had no trouble filling her dining room and every bar stool, especially on weekends.
Then, the COVID-19 pandemic hit, forcing her to only sell takeout, which took a chunk out of her sales.
“We were a bustling restaurant,” she said. “It’s still not the same as it was.”
Alcohol cannot be ordered via delivery apps because restaurants are still required to verify that customers are at least 21.
