RI Lawmakers Approve Extension Of To-Go Alcohol

To-go alcohol is here to stay in Rhode Island, for the time being, at least. The General Assembly approved a bill extending the provision until next March.

Last March, then-Gov. Gina Raimondo authorized restaurants to offer certain amounts of beer, wine and mixed drinks with takeout orders.

The legislation, sponsored by Sen. Hanna Gallo and Rep. Jacquelyn Baginski, allows businesses with a Class B liquor license to continue to offer up to two 750 ml bottles of wine, 72 ounces of a mixed-wine drinks, 144 ounces of beer, and mixed drinks with no more than nine ounces of distilled spirits until March 1, 2022. Drink must be sold in factory-sealed containers or in a container that has been sealed in such a way that it cannot be reopened without obviously showing that the seal was broken or removed.

“The restaurant and hospitality industry has been battered by the economic effects of the pandemic, and is now facing another struggle in the shape of an employee shortage,” Gallo said. “We need this industry — which includes so many treasured small businesses that make Rhode Island the special place that is — to survive the pandemic. This simple extension of take-out drinks will help them stay afloat, bring in a little more revenue, and keep paying their employees and supporting our economy.”

The legislation does not cover delivery orders, and goes into effect upon passage. Final votes were held in the House of Representatives Wednesday, sending the bill to Gov. Dan McKee’s desk.
“While we’re fortunate that many of the COVID restrictions for businesses have been lifted, the restaurant industry in particular continues to suffer from the devastating economic impact of the last year and a half,” Baginski said. “Our restaurants are in desperate need of every cent that comes their way. This legislation will help them stay on the road to recovery.”

Dale J. Venturini, the president and CEO of the Rhode Island Hospitality Association, said the legislation “will help [restaurants] stay on the road to recovery.”

“While we’re fortunate that many of the COVID restrictions for businesses have been lifted, the restaurant industry in particular continues to suffer from the devastating economic impact of the last year and a half,” Venturini said. “Our restaurants are in desperate need of every cent that comes their way.”