Brunch bill could mean earlier Sunday alcohol

♦ The Rome Alcohol Control Commission to start discussion next week about the new bill.

Restaurateurs in Rome may soon have the option of offering alcoholic beverage sales as early as 11 a.m. on Sunday. The so-called “Brunch Bill” was signed into law by Governor Nathan Deal on May 8. It allows cities where Sunday sales are already permitted to call a referendum on opening up alcohol sales as early as 11 a.m.

“I can’t say that we’ve had this kind of huge demand from our visitors, we did get a lot of comments when we didn’t have Sunday sales, but I can’t honestly say we’re having a gigantic number of requests for this,” said Lisa Smith, director of the Rome Convention and Visitors Bureau. Smith said she could potentially see the benefit of earlier sales in some of the resort communities and larger metropolitan areas like Atlanta.

Jeremy Duke, who brought Mellow Mushroom and Moe’s Original BBQ to downtown Rome, said over the last seven and half years he has had customers come in early on Sunday and ask for a drink but he’s always responded by telling them he couldn’t sell the beverages until 12:30. “Would it help our sales? Probably, a little bit,” Duke said. “I’m not going to lose any sleep over it. Most sporting events that people come in to watch on Sunday don’t start until 1:00 anyway.”

Efforts to pass a similar legislation have been floating through the halls of the Capitol since 2016, when the Georgia Restaurant Association presented a study indicating that restaurants could generate as much as $25,000 a year from the earlier sales.

City Commissioner Craig McDaniel, who serves as the commission’s liaison to the Alcohol Control Commission, said he had not even heard of the “Brunch Bill.” After reflecting on the possibility of moving up Sunday alcohol sales to 11 a.m., McDaniel

said, “I would not be in favor of it.” The city commission has not discussed the issue and McDaniel said he suspected that any change would need to come before the ACC or perhaps the city’s General Administration Committee.

“I have personally spoken with patrons and establishments that would like to see this happen, so yes, we are always open to having a conversation about the possibility,” said Monica Sheppard, chairwoman of the ACC,.

City Clerk Joe Smith, the secretary to the ACC, said he has not had any input from “citizen, business establishment or commission member” about the change.

Sheppard said the ideal time for a public vote would be in conjunction with the November election, and that this was the time to start having that conversation. She has asked for the issue to be placed on the agenda for the ACC meeting set for Tuesday, June 19 at 5 p.m. in the city commission chambers.