Buffalo, N.Y. (WBEN) - It's a suggested change proposed by the Alcoholic Beverage Control Law Commission that a New York State lawmaker is saying is "long overdue" and one restaurant owner is calling a "win-win."
The New York State Senate's budget proposal includes a provision that would allow local restaurants and bars to buy up to 12 bottles a week from a local liquor store instead of having to buy from the only two distributors in the state.
If passed, this could mean thousands of dollars of savings or revenue annually for our local bars, restaurants and local liquor stores.
"If the bar owner would need to make a purchase on a last-minute basis, [they would be] able to go and purchase something from the local liquor store, be able to supply it to their customers, and keep their business going," Senator Patrick Gallivan tells WBEN.
"So they would save money, they wouldn't have to pay the fees that are normally involved in the process, they wouldn't have to pay the higher prices for the liquor that are normally involved in the process. And I think it's helpful to a lot of people. And ultimately, I think the consumers can benefit from it."
Ellie Grenauer, co-owner of the Glen Park Tavern in Williamsville believes this provision could certainly help her business in a pinch.
"A lot of times, we'll run out on a Friday night, and then we're stuck. And, you know, the distributors, even if I run out on a Wednesday and my distributor had just been there on Tuesday, they're not coming back out. So it would just really be convenient if they were to allow it to go through. And you know, of course, helps us in the long run make money."
Grenauer says the delivery costs for Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits, one of the largest distributors in the United States, cost them about $20 in delivery fees per visit, which can add up. But Grenauer says the real savings could come from the savings they get from the liquor store if they were to buy a case instead of a bottle.
"Say I run out of one of my Chardonnays, it's very popular. I can buy a case because that's 12 bottles. And there's usually a discount for buying at a liquor store if you buy by the case. So 12 is a good starting point. You know, most of us have the science of ordering well worked out. But like I said, there's always that factor we can't control, which is the number of people that walk through the door. So by allowing us up to 12 bottles, that would make it easier for us to you know, just go and grab it and not disappoint customers or trying to sell them on something else."
As budget negotiations continue heavy this week in Albany as the budget deadline will soon approach, Gallivan notes that there has been a lot of support from his fellow legislators on both sides of the aisle on this provision, but discussions have just begun.
"Negotiations are just beginning and I've seen many things over the years, so it's very hard to predict what actually ends up in the budget. But the fact that both majority and minority members are coming out in support of this in both the Senate and the Assembly is a good thing. And I think this governor has demonstrated that she has a willingness to put things forward in advance different pieces of legislation that are favorable to bar owners and restaurant owners. One example, of course, is purchasing of the liquor-to-go. That's an example of something that she has supported. So I think that it's more than likely that this will pass but it's still too early to tell," said Gallivan.