NEW YORK — In an effort to support the recovery of the restaurant and bar industry throughout the state, NY Gov. Kathy Hochul announced a proposal at a press conference on Wednesday to provide funding for operational improvements at the State Liquor Authority (SLA).
"New York's nightlife and hospitality industry are second to none, and our state cannot truly come back from this pandemic until we revitalize this crucial sector of our economy and the hundreds of thousands of jobs it provides," Hochul said.
"We owe it to our small businesses to provide them with the resources and regulatory framework they need to grow and thrive, which is why is it's important that we reform and modernize the State Liquor Authority. This is just one of several steps we are taking to help small businesses come back from the pandemic stronger than ever before."
The governor has proposed adding $2 million to the SLA budget to include the hiring of more than 30 full-time employees to help reduce the 20 to 26 week wait businesses face when applying for permits.
Hochul highlighted recent policy changes implemented by the SLA that would help the economy including the SLA's decision to allow movie theaters to apply for a license to serve beer and wine.
“The Business Council commends Governor Hochul’s initiative to streamline the licensing process at the State Liquor Authority and amend outdated provisions in the Alcoholic Beverage Control Law (ABC) law,” said Paul Zuber, Executive Vice President.
“We are encouraged by the governor’s commitment to review similar archaic provisions to the ABC laws, some of which have been in place since the end of prohibition, both undermining economic development and limiting markets for our New York wine and distilled spirits industry. We should take this opportunity to expand the conversation about state liquor law reform and begin addressing the myriad of prohibition-era laws that create challenges for businesses and consumers statewide.”
In addition to operation funding for the SLA, Hochul also directed it to consult with industry representatives and stakeholders to review existing laws and identify areas that need improvement.
"We want a lot of commentary on the regulations. This is how we do it. We will be processed and reviewed by the agency and they'll get them from the public, from the industry, and you know, we want to hear people's experiences on how we can make this be very successful and leave no business behind so we saw that this was a critical revenue stream. This was what kept people afloat during those dark, dark months and years of the pandemic and we said there has been a change in people's attitudes. There is an expectation now, so why set us backwards," said Hochul.
Hochul has also been supporting the hospitality industry in her recent budget proposal, which included making to-go alcohol sales permanent. Restaurant owners have been urging the state legislature to adopt this to help aid the industry in its recovery from the pandemic.
The President and CEO of the New York State Restaurant Association says this will help speed the process up and hopefully cut the approval process time in half.
"There are so many steps that you have to take in order to operate and own and run a restaurant, and in start-up it can be incredibly frustrating when you're dealing with paperwork and wait times. The last thing you want is to be paying rent on a location for a restaurant, or a bar, and not be able to fully operate because you can't get your liquor license. So this is an important step to address those issues and really help bring back the industry," says Melissa Fleischut, President and CEO of the NYS Restaurant Association.