SYRACUSE, N.Y. (WSYR-TV) – To-go cocktails have become routine for customers and businesses ever since the pandemic, but the law already extended in 2022 is set to expire next year. Governor Kathy Hochul is looking to make the law permanent in her upcoming budget proposal.
Alcohol to-go shook up the restaurant world when it was first allowed during the pandemic, but now making drinks to-go has become the norm for many businesses.
“I remember when we started, we started to sell a little bit, but it picked up pretty quick, and right now, we sell a lot,” Alejandro Gonzalez, owner of Margaritas Mexican Cantina in downtown Syracuse, said.
Even when people could go out to eat again, the tradition of grabbing an alcoholic drink with take-out carried on. The number of to-go drinks only increased as the years went by.
“A lot of people don’t eat out. They like to eat at home, so when you order a nice burger and fries, and you want a couple beers to go with it as well, so it’s been great for us,” Joe Kalil, owner of Home Team Pub in Liverpool, explained.