General Assembly approves permanent takeout drinks, continued outdoor dining
PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WLNE)- The General Assembly has approved two measures to help boost the restaurant industry in Rhode Island as the state nears the two-year mark of the pandemic.
The first bill voted on allows the permanent sale of takeout drinks in restaurants. This practice was created to help restaurants weather the storm of the pandemic early on, especially when businesses were closed down for indoor dining. The provision was set to expire on March 1, but due to the popularity and support of the Governor, it will now become a permanent fixture of Rhode Island’s restaurant scene. This only applies to takeout drinks, not delivery. This bill was sponsored by Senate President Pro Tempore Hanna M. Gallo and Representative Jacquelyn Baginski.
“The bill we passed last year to help the hospitality industry make up for the negative impacts of the pandemic proved extremely popular and it helped our restaurants immensely. Making this policy permanent is a common-sense approach to continue helping the hospitality industry recover from their devastating economic losses as well as allowing consumers an even greater option of products they can bring home from their favorite establishments,” said Representative Baginski.
“Our restaurant industry includes so many treasured small businesses that make Rhode Island the special place that is. They need every available tool to survive the pandemic.” Said Senator Gallo, “Take-out drinks have helped them stay afloat, bring in a little more revenue, and keep paying their employees and supporting our economy. Restaurants and consumers have shown that takeout drinks can be handled very responsibly, so we have every reason to make them a permanent feature of our state’s restaurant scene.”
The second bill brought before the General Assembly allows restaurants to continue outdoor dining throughout the pandemic. The legislation extends the moratorium in place that prevents the enforcement of municipal ordinances or zoning requirements for the restaurants that could lead to fines against the owners for any modification to their premises. The moratorium was set to expire on April 1, 2022 but will now expire on April 1, 2023. This bill was sponsored by Representative Carol McEntee and Senator Alana DiMario.
“The ‘Take It Outside’ campaign helped so many of our restaurants weather the brutal storm of COVID-19 and it proved to be a hit with the public as well. As we know, the pandemic is not yet behind us, so it makes sense to extend this outdoor dining practice in order to continue helping our restaurants economically and keeping consumers safe from COVID-19 while they enjoy their favorite food establishments. Our restaurants, when faced with a historic health and economic crisis, responded by creatively adapting to the circumstances, investing thousands of dollars to make their establishments safe for their guests. Rhode Island’s embrace of outdoor dining was an unexpected bright spot during the pandemic and it showed us a viable way to enhance our already spectacular and world-renowned restaurant industry. This bill is a win for our restaurants, our consumers and our communities as a whole and I am looking forward to continue dining outside with my family and friends as the warm weather returns to Rhode Island. I also encourage our municipalities to take a hard look at their zoning laws because I believe outdoor dining is here to stay,” said Representative McEntee.
“This bill is essential to our restaurants and bars that are still struggling to recover from the effects of the pandemic. The legislation will also allow these establishments to apply to make these successful and popular changes permanent, such as the outdoor dining areas and takeout windows.” Said Senator DiMario, “Municipalities have given the feedback that they have not had enough time to get temporary zoning changes through their appropriate channels to make them permanent and that this extension is welcome.”
