The St. Paul City Council is making an unusual request to state leaders. With bars and restaurants shuttered for all but curbside take-out and delivery as a result of the pandemic, why not allow sales of take-out and delivery liquor?
City Council Member Rebecca Noecker, who represents downtown St. Paul, said alcohol is responsible for up to 20 to 30 percent of restaurant sales nationally, and take-out meals alone won’t make up for the losses.
“This would be a small step to help our restaurants recover a bit during this crisis,” Noecker told the council on Wednesday.
Gov. Tim Walz ordered bar and restaurant seating areas to close from March 16 through May 1. The result has been devastating for many many establishments which have had to let staff go.
St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter, Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey and mayors of Eagan, Hastings and other municipalities recently reached out to the governor’s office, as well as key state lawmakers, asking them to allow temporary “take-out liquor” exemptions in light of the pandemic.
The Minnesota Licensed Beverage Association authored a similar letter on March 25.
A St. Paul City Council resolution, authored by Noecker and co-sponsored by Council President Amy Brendmoen, Jane Prince and Nelsie Yang, notes that other states, including Texas, New York, Maryland, Colorado, Illinois, and New Hampshire have issued executive orders allowing pre-packaged liquor to-go.
“We tried to turn over every stone to see if there was a way to do this as the city, rather than having to push it all the way to the state level,” Brendmoen said. She noted the recommended rules would not allow “to-go cups with umbrellas popping out of the top.”
Instead, the council resolution, which was approved 7-0, recommends that bars and restaurants be required to sell food with all take-out liquor orders, and that all alcohol sold off-sale would be in pre-packaged, closed containers.
Beer sales would be limited to a maximum amount of 144 ounces per order — the equivalent of 12 cans of 12 ounce beer or 9 cans of 16 ounce beer. Wine sales would be limited to 1500 milliliters of wine, which is the equivalent of two bottles. Hard liquor would not be allowed.
The resolution also notes the council supports the governor’s efforts to slow the spread of the virus.
