John Longstreet: Restaurants still waiting for their drinks to-go
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After a devastating 18 months filled with uncertainty and loss of business, Pennsylvania restaurants asked state lawmakers to throw them a lifeline. The request was simple: pass House Bill 1154, which would make cocktails to-go permanent and extend outdoor seating in the state. The bill initially garnered broad bipartisan support, but it somehow fell through the cracks unfinished when the state Senate recessed for the summer.
A recent survey conducted by the National Restaurant Association illustrates the high demand for mixed drinks to-go in Pennsylvania. Overall, 79% of Pennsylvania adults said they favor a proposal that would permanently allow customers to purchase cocktails with their takeout food orders from restaurants.
Among those who ordered takeout from a restaurant in the last year, 27% of adults aged 21-plus included an alcoholic beverage with one of these orders; 67% said the option of having a drink to-go would make them more likely to choose one restaurant over another. Sixteen states now allow cocktails to go, including neighbors Ohio and West Virginia. Legislation is pending in New Jersey. As we saw with restaurant shutdowns last year, Pennsylvanians near the borders simply ventured to other states where restaurants were open. It is likely the same will happen with cocktails to-go.
The Pennsylvania House seems to agree with the public, which is likely why it passed a clean version of HB 1154 on two separate occasions. And once upon a time, the Senate also supported the bill.
Unpredictability still plagues Pennsylvania’s business community, especially restaurants. For example, a recent survey indicates that six in 10 adults have changed their restaurant usage because of the delta variant. In addition, the recent increase in coronavirus cases has led to 37% of adults ordering takeout or delivery instead of going out to a restaurant, while 19% say they chose to sit outside while dining because of covid-related concerns.
The recent spike in cases has led to new mitigation orders in places such as Philadelphia on top of the many challenges restaurants already face, including staffing shortages and supply-chain issues.
Pennsylvania restaurants are feeling the effects of the delta variant. In a survey done in September, 77% of restaurants had a decline in indoor dining in recent weeks — this is with 80% of owners saying sales are now lower than what they were in 2019. This harsh reality has most restaurant operators expecting the worst; 21% of operators don’t believe operations will ever return to normal. If there is only one thing restaurant owners and employees can be certain of, it is continued uncertainty.
The Legislature acted to extend important waivers for other parts of Pennsylvania’s impacted industries — it is now time to show that same support and action to a bill that would help the restaurant industry. The truth is, if restaurants continue in this aidless downward spiral, Pennsylvanians will all be affected. It will be harder to celebrate birthdays, anniversaries, promotions or have a fine meal. By then, it will be too late to do anything. We must act.
HB 1154 is in the Senate Rules Committee. It did not move in the Senate this summer because of a desire to keep a controversial line item that would have allowed the expansion of the sales of ready-to-drink, spirit-based cocktails — a line item that while popular for some businesses and consumers would lead to a stroke of the governor’s veto pen. You can contact your senator and urge them to move HB 1154.
The House already has passed the bipartisan legislation that the governor will sign. The Legislature has repeatedly recognized the importance of the economy returning to normal and helping businesses recover. HB 1154 is a commonsense, broadly supported way to give the restaurant industry key tools for recovery in the short term and business success in the long term. It’s what the public wants. And supporting this industry, which has been decimated for 18 months, is simply the right thing to do.
John Longstreet is president of the Pennsylvania Restaurant Lodging Association.