Illinois restaurants and bars can sell curbside cocktails according to new legislation, Gov. J.B. Pritzker announced Tuesday.
With efforts to expand the hospitality industry in phase 3 of reopening, Pritzker signed a bill allowing the sale of cocktails by bars and restaurants with liquor licenses for pickup and delivery.
Cocktails can only be delivered in a sealed, labeled container with a tamper-evident cap or seal by an employee of the the establishment. Cocktails may not be delivered by a third party delivery app.
“Restaurants and bars are beloved businesses in so many of our communities and also some of the hardest hit from the COVD-19 pandemic,” Pritzker said. “This legislation will provide these businesses with a critical tool to bring in additional income until they can safely and fully reopen their doors once more."
On Tuesday, Illinois joined 34 other states in enacting a to-go cocktail policy for bars and restaurants, Sen. Sara Feigenholtz explained.
"This new law provides restaurants and bar owners with a survival tool as they wait to open safely and to their full capacity," Feigenholtz said.
The new legislation delays liquor license late fees and license fees for businesses, along with establishing automatic liquor license renewal approval and extension for any holder whose business has been suspended as a result of COVID-19.
