NEW YORK (1010 WINS) – The lifting of New York’s state of emergency will bring the end of takeout alcohol from restaurants and bars starting on Friday.
Drinks-to-go have been an income stream for struggling businesses during the pandemic, and New Yorkers have embraced it.
But the New York State Liquor Authority tweeted Wednesday that the day's of delivery and takeout alcohol are over.
"With the ending of our state of emergency and the return to pre-pandemic guidelines, the temporary pandemic-related privileges for to-go and delivery of alcoholic beverages will end after June 24," the agency tweeted.
Noting how popular the program has been, NYC Hospitality Alliance executive director Andrew Rigie told the New York Post, “It’s a real shame the state Legislature didn’t extend alcohol-to-go to support struggling restaurants in their long recovery.”
Scott Wexler, the head of the Empire State Restaurant & Tavern Association, took it a step further, saying the lifting of booze-to-go “sucks.”
“Reopening is well underway but the recovery has just begun,” Wexler said, adding that “we’re still 300,000 jobs shy of where we were before the pandemic.”
Wexler said businesses have exhausted federal aid and state aid programs have excluded restaurants getting federal help.
The New York State Restaurant Association reported that 78% of New Yorkers support allowing takeout alcohol to continue.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced Wednesday that the state of emergency—in place for more than a year—would expire on Thursday.
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