TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — The Florida House passed SB 148 Wednesday, which would allow restaurants to sell alcohol as a part of to-go orders.
The final vote was nearly unanimous: 115 to 1. The lone dissenting vote came from Jacksonville Rep. Clay Yarborough. Four representatives did not vote.
Restaurants like Sneakers Sports Grille in Jacksonville Beach feel that having expanded to-go options helped their business earn money when restaurants were shut down.
Greg Pratt is the owner of Sneakers Sports Grille and said the Beaches area has bounced back after the COVID-19 pandemic knocked it down.
“The beaches have been very busy," Pratt said. "Americans don’t enjoy being locked down. They’ve come back out.”
Pratt is in favor of the bill that would allow to-go alcohol sales to continue. Much like mixing the perfect cocktail, the bill still needs some tweaks according to some lawmakers.
The Senate passed its version of the bill last week, which requires drinks to be in a sealed container and stored away from drivers.
Lawmakers say it applies to restaurants only, not bars or nightclubs.
Drinks shall also be no bigger than 32 ounces, and food must be included as part of the to-go order.
State Senator Jennifer Bradley, who represents Bradford, Union and Clay counties, said the bill provides clarity that drinks must be in a sealed container away from a driver.
“If you comply with the requirements, and it’s not a situation where you can pop a straw in the drink when you leave the restaurant, if you comply with those requirements you’re not in violation of open container [laws],” Sen Bradley stated.
One possible proposal would include requiring to-go orders to be at least 25% non-alcoholic drinks and food. The rest of the order could be alcohol.
State senator Jennifer Bradley says she wants to follow the executive order issued last year by Governor Ron DeSantis.
“The face of the restaurant industry has changed, and the trends say that takeout will continue so this bill will allow the [restaurants] to have all their offerings in the to-go environment,” Sen. Bradley said.