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To-go cocktails bill passes state legislature, now waiting on Gov. Ducey's signature

Cocktails to-go became a practice at the beginning of the pandemic. Now a bill wants to make the opportunity permanent in Arizona.

ARIZONA, USA — Cocktails to-go are one step away from coming back to Arizona.

The practice became popular during the pandemic and helped restaurants at a time when they couldn’t host people in their dining rooms.

Gov. Doug Ducey issued an executive order at the beginning of the pandemic to allow to-go cocktails for restaurants to maintain some income. The order was eventually overturned by the courts. 

Now, the bill has passed the state legislature and is awaiting Gov. Doug Ducey’s signature or veto.

Restaurants see to-go cocktails as an opportunity for better bottom line

Stefanos Daniolos, partner at Mi Patio Mexican Food in Phoenix, said that offering margaritas to-go during the beginning of the pandemic is what helped keep them stay afloat.

“When we couldn’t fill our dining room, people would order margaritas to-go, which was really helpful,” Daniolos said.

After 14 months of the pandemic, Daniolos has several tables at the restaurant filled with patrons.

But looking ahead, Daniolos said the possibility of being able to make to-go cocktails a permanent offering in the future would help the restaurant's bottom line.

“It would definitely be a bump, it would be a bonus,” Daniolos said. “We have a lot of customers that actually request it, we had a lot of people who were really upset when we couldn’t do it anymore.”

If it becomes law, Arizona would join several other states that have made to-go cocktails a permanent fixture on the dine-out menu.

Most recently Texas and Florida passed laws that allow restaurants to offer those options.

Concerns over delivery provision and competition

The measure in Arizona would also make delivery companies, not businesses, responsible for making sure customers are over 21.

That provision and concerns over competition between bars and restaurants is why long-time bar owner Kimberly O’Donnell said she’s against the idea.

“We make six Jack and Cokes to-go, who are they serving outside of here? We have no idea where this liquor is going,” O’Donnell said.

If passed, the law would not take effect immediately

If the governor signs the bill into law, it wouldn’t take effect until October.

But, under the bill’s language, restaurants could not apply for a license to sell to-go cocktail orders themselves until 2026.

Before then, the ability would have to be leased through a bar or liquor store.

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