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BYO No! Restaurants to Get Schooled by SLA on the Rules
By
John Del Signore
Published Mar 16, 2009
Modified Mar 16, 2009
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By
John Del Signore
Published Mar 16, 2009
Modified Mar 16, 2009
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One of the best reasons to check out newly opened restaurants is that eateries still awaiting liquor license approval often let patrons bring their own bottles of wine and beer at no charge. But now here comes the State Liquor Authority to throw a wet blanket on the custom; SLA Commissioner Jeanique Greene (remember her?) says next week the agency will begin holding seminars for restaurant owners to remind them, among other things, that the practice is illegal. Unless a restaurant seats less than 20 diners, BYOB is prohibited, and Greene tells Crain's that if a new restaurant is applying for a liquor license, the owner is taking a big risk by letting diners drink: "We would look negatively at that." And Scott Wexler, executive director of the Empire State Restaurant & Tavern Association, reveals that the biggest whiners about BYOB restaurants are other restaurant owners with liquor licenses: "They feel it’s an unfair advantage or competition."
Tagged
brooklyn
NY
nyc
restaurant
sla
state liquor authority
John Del Signore
Originally from the Albany area, John Del Signore has called NYC home since 1995. In addition to his thousands of meticulously-crafted bespoke blog posts for Gothamist, his writing has also been published in The Awl, Deadspin, The Nervous Breakdown, and performed at The Brick Theater in Brooklyn.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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