Mackenzie Francisco

By Mackenzie Francisco

NOTE: This article originally ran in The Pilot Newspaper on March 30, 2020.

Local restaurant and bar owners met with Moore County’s state legislators last week, expressing concerns regarding the state’s role in protecting small businesses during the coronavirus pandemic.

State Senator Tom McInnis and State Representative Jamie Boles phoned representatives from the Moore County Health Department, the North Carolina ABC Commission and U.S. Congress to help them field questions regarding financial relief for restaurants and alcohol sales.

Moore County’s service industry is struggling to keep doors open for takeout food service, but they’re especially concerned about alcohol sales. Many restaurant owners had recently stocked their liquor shelves for the busy spring season prior to the closure of restaurant dining rooms two weeks ago.

States like California, Texas and Florida have relaxed their alcohol consumption laws, allowing restaurants to sell cocktails with takeout orders. Since many restaurant owners don’t have off-premise liquor licenses, they aren’t able to sell pre-mixed cocktails with takeout orders.

“If I could sell liquor by the glass, I could keep a staff member working,” Warren Lewis of Chef Warren’s said.

According to Terrance Merriweather of the North Carolina ABC Commission, these concerns from the service industry are all on the table, however, the decision to relax alcohol laws is ultimately up to the legislature.

“At this point, there’s not much we can do,” Merriweather said. “We are in uncharted territory.”

The price of maintaining a liquor license at a restaurant comes to $22,000 per year, including insurance. With doors closed, owners won’t see the return from that hefty investment.

Though folks like Lewis don’t possess the license for to-go alcohol, Tony Cross of Reverie Cocktails is able to deliver growlers of his cocktails if it accompanies food, thanks to his catering license. Reverie Cocktails is based out of Nature’s Own, a local grocer specializing in whole foods and health foods.

Boles, who chairs the House Alcoholic Beverage Control Committee, said he is working to bring concerns regarding alcohol sales to the state. Both Boles and McInnis also listened to owners’ perspectives on the recently approved economic assistance legislation. The lawmakers called in to U.S. House Rep. Dan Bishop, whose 9th Congressional Districts includes southern Moore County. The $2-trillion economic relief plan includes a relief package for small business owners, and a number of businesses are now working with local banks and other advisers to figure out how to apply for those funds.

According to Bishop, the stimulus package will allow small business owners to borrow money up to two and a half times their payroll. Bishop said those loans will be forgiven if the funds are used to continue to pay employees during coronavirus shutdowns.

For some, the stimulus package offers hope. Others are unsure if it’ll be too late for it to save their business.

“They pass a bill up there, and we sit down here in the midst of suffering and wonder if anything’s actually going to happen,” Steve Grasso, owner of Broad Street Bakery & Cafe said.

“I know the state is really trying with this,” says Lewis. “I’m not an expert on government stuff, but I do know about running a restaurant in this community. And we really do live in such a strong community.”