Assembly Approves Brunch Hour Alcohol Sales Beginning at 8AM
We are calling this a tremendous victory and collaborative win
Assembly Approves Brunch Hour Alcohol Sales Beginning at 8AM
Tuesday June 11 Regular Assembly Meeting, the Anchorage Assembly approved (10-1) AO 2024-62, As Amended, to extend hours for alcohol sales for restaurants from 10AM to 8AM, allowing the “Brunch Hour” at licensed locations effective immediately. The ordinance was amended to allow package stores to open earlier on Sundays, now at 10AM daily.
Alaska Hospitality Retailers Board of Directors and its members are thankful to Assembly Chair Christopher Constant for listening to industry perspectives and for his leadership and support on this ordinance.
This passing would not have happened without the great leadership of Assembly Chair Constant. We also appreciate assembly members for helping to pass this hospitality friendly ordinance. Members Myers, Martinez, Littlefield, Rivera, Johnson, Zaletel, Bronga, Volland and Sulte.
Alaska Hospitality Retailers represents the entire hospitality industry under ‘one voice’ and has worked with Assembly Chair Constant in the past but, especially over the past year on AO 2024-62. This ordinance allows Anchorage Restaurants to open earlier hours than current Code allowed for service and consumption on licensed premises that also serve food by changing the required operating hours so they may serve alcohol beginning at 8:00 a.m. each day.
Christopher Constant, Assembly Chair stated, “I’m grateful for the assistance of Alaska Hospitality Retailers and the restaurant owners who have long advocated for Brunch Hour service. With the advent of the alcohol tax in 2021 providing upward of $15,000,000 of annual revenue to support important causes like supporting our social service providers and finding upstream prevention programs to ensure healthy families; it’s a small measure of gratitude to allow restaurants to serve 2 hours earlier”.
In our testimony at the assembly meeting on June 11 we asked for clarification of current license operation hours. We clarified on record in this ordinance under “retail sales” only applies to licenses like package stores and does not affect current operating hours for all other types of licenses like bars.
Under current Code package stores were currently permitted to open at Noon on Sundays. During our testimony we asked assembly members for their consideration for package stores to be allowed to open on Sundays at 10am. Assembly Chair Constant brought forth his amendment to the ordinance allowing package stores to open at 10am on Sunday which passed. This allows package stores to service their customers 7-days per week at 10am. Another amazing win for our industry.
Ana Fisk, Liquor Stores USA North Inc. (Brown Jug) stated, “thanks Alaska Hospitality Retailers for your advocacy in amending store hours of operation; we look forward to responsibly serving our customers in Anchorage at 10 am all days of the week.”
Thank you to all restaurant and business owners for testifying and supporting this amazing win!
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