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Wolf amends order to allow later alcohol sales for restaurants, owners say it’s not enough
Wolf amends order to allow later alcohol sales for restaurants, owners say it’s not enough
Starting Monday bars and restaurants in Pennsylvania can operate at 50% capacity, and they’ll be able to serve alcohol until 11 p.m.
Gov. Tom Wolf signed new orders that will go into place Sep. 21 that slightly amended his original orders that the establishments must stop serving alcohol at 10 p.m. with the new higher capacity.
Wolf did not comment on the change, but there had been a great deal of outcry from restaurant groups who called the curfew restrictive and argued that it unfairly targeted certain establishments like sports bars. They specifically mentioned the 10 p.m. curfew as particularly restrictive.
While the new ruling improves on that, John Longstreet, president and CEO of the Pennsylvania Restaurant and Lodging Association, said the change still isn’t what the industry was hoping for.
“Unfortunately, the order does not go far enough to return the industry to the standards in place before July 15. We urge the Governor’s office to take further action to ease the economic pain inflicted by operating restrictions. The PRLA advocates for normal operating hours, eliminating the meal requirement and the ban on bar seating, allowing events to operate at 50% capacity, and permitting restaurant capacity at a minimum of 50% capacity while removing the self-certification component that no other industry must sign to operate,” he said in a written statement.
Establishments that want to increase from the current 25% to 50% capacity for indoor seating still need to self-certify that they are adhering to COVID-19 mitigation efforts to help keep employees and customers safe. Self-certification forms should be submitted by Oct. 5, when enforcement begins, but will be online on the state’s website after that.
While the new rules include a later curfew for alcohol sales, those sales are being enforced. The establishments many serve alcohol until 11 p.m., but any alcoholic drinks must be finished or taken away by midnight.
The governor’s office said any health and safety violations from self-certified businesses will be handled first with warnings and education rather than fines or other penalties.
