www.qns.com MARCH 25, 2022 6RIDGEWOOD TIMES
Queens leaders urge state to make drinks-to-go permanent
BY BILL PARRY
BPARRY@SCHNEPSMEDIA.COM
@QNS
Several Queens lawmakers gathered
at Mojitos Restaurant Bar in
Jackson Heights to mark the second
anniversary of the emergency orders
that shut down all dining and drinking
establishments at the start of the
COVID-19 pandemic.
The elected officials spoke in support
of Governor Kathy Hochul’s efforts to
make alcohol-to-go permanent in this
year’s final budget.
“Just like temporary liquor licenses,
bringing back to-go cocktails is about
parity for small businesses in the restaurant
industry,” state Senator Jessica
Ramos said. “During the height of the
pandemic, the hospitality industry
used the expanse of its creativity to stay
afloat while keeping our communities
safe. The go-to drink revenue stream
allowed them to hire more people and
reinvigorate our commercial corridors
when it was desperately needed. Now
they need a lifeline to recovery and we
can deliver.”
Ramos co-sponsored the legislation
with state Senator Leroy Comrie in the
upper chamber.
“Returning to a sensible to-go drinks
policy would support ongoing efforts to
rebuild and recover Queens’ and New
York state’s economy from the worst
days of the pandemic, remembering
those worst days hit the restaurant
industry and workers particularly
hard,” Comrie said. “We must pursue
a to-go drinks policy that means these
small businesses have an opportunity
to thrive.”
The policy was not included in the
Legislature’s budget proposal.
“The restaurant industry, especially
in New York City where local restaurants
help shape the bedrock of many
communities, were ravaged during the
pandemic,” Assemblywoman Catalina
Cruz said. “Drinks-to-go is just one way
the legislature can help local business
owners and stimulate the economic recovery.
They simply want to offer the
same menu items to take-out customers
that dine-in customers enjoy. I call on
my colleagues to support making this
revenue generator permanent.”
Assemblywoman Jessica González-Rojas calls for the inclusion of the revenue-generating drinks-to-go initiative to be
included in the final state budget. Photo courtesy of González-Rojas’ office
They said alcohol-to-go is a critical
lifeline for restaurants to recoup sales
to pre-pandemic levels that provided $4
billion in sales tax revenue to the state’s
coffers, highlighting its direct impact
on state revenue.
“These last two years have made it
nearly impossible for many restaurants
to stay afloat, and many small business
owners had to close their doors,” Assemblywoman
Jessica González-Rojas
said. “Despite these challenges, restaurants
not only kept our communities
fed but often went above and beyond
what they could do. In my district, many
struggling restaurants showed up for
our communities by donating food to
hospital workers on the front lines. We
owe these pillars of our communities a
lifeline, and alcohol-to-go proved to be
just that.”
A survey conducted by the New York
State Restaurant Association last May
found that more than 78% of New Yorkers
support alcohol-to-go becoming
permanent.
“The restaurants in southeast Queens
are a major factor in making our community
thrive,” Assemblywoman Alicia
Hyndman said. “We have witnessed the
devastating effects of the pandemic on
businesses across New York City. The
food service industry has been one of
the most affected, causing some to close
their doors forever. Drinks-to-go is just
the first step in the right direction towards
economic revitalization for our
restaurant and food service industry.”
The program lasted 15 months during
the height of the pandemic but was allowed
to expire last summer. Proposals
to renew the popular revenue generator
faced pushback from the New York
State Liquor Store Association.
“With seeing how well the initiative
worked, I believe that issues and differences
can be addressed in order to
have the alcohol-to-go policy in place
to assist our local bars and restaurants
recuperate even further,” state Senator
Joseph Addabbo said.
His colleague in government from
south Queens, Assemblywoman Stacey
Pheffer Amato, endorsed the initiative
being made permanent as part of the
final enacted budget later this month.
“Cheers!” she said.
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