Wolf signs order for later alcohol curfew
Sales in Pennsylvania’s restaurants to end at 11 p.m., starting Monday
Last call just got a little later than originally planned at Pennsylvania bars and restaurants.
Orders signed Thursday by Gov. Tom Wolf and Health Secretary Dr. Rachel Levine mandate restaurants can’t serve alcohol for on-site consumption past 11 p.m., starting Monday. Patrons will have until midnight to finish drinking their last beverage.
All on-site alcohol sales have to be paired with a meal, and establishments still can’t use bar seating. Take-out sales of alcohol remain unchanged by the orders.
The news of a later curfew comes after Wolf last week announced restaurants would have to stop serving alcohol at 10 p.m. later this month as his administration sought to stem increases in coronavirus cases among 19- and 24-year-olds. Ending alcohol sales early is meant to discourage congregating in restaurants, the state has said. Sports bars, in particular, were upset with the originally planned 10 p.m. curfew, which could cut off alcohol sales halfway through a night game.
The state said the planned curfew was moved from 10 p.m. to 11 p.m. “after receiving feedback from the hospitality industry” and to align with other states that have limited alcohol sales due to COVID-19. The curfew applies to all entities that offer regular on-site dining and alcohol service such as casinos, hotels, wineries and breweries.
Bert Charlie, owner of Riley’s Pub in Whitehall Township, said he was grateful for the extra hour, though he still feels it’s an “adult curfew.” For his pub, which employs 13 people, the largest profit margin typically comes from liquor sales between 10 p.m. and closing time at 2 a.m. That’s also when his bartenders make their biggest tips.
“If you can babysit yourself until 11 at night, why can’t you babysit yourself until 2 in the morning like normal,” Charlie said.
Chuck Moran, executive director of the Pennsylvania Licensed Beverage and Tavern Association, said bumping back the 10 p.m. mandate to 11 p.m. does help a little, though it further limits business hours for nighttime establishments.
“What would really help most of my members would be to allow patrons to sit at the bar with appropriate rules for
COVID safety,“said Moran, whose association has more than 400 members. ”There are many corner bars in neighborhoods that simply can’t even open without the use of their bar stools.”
The curfew was tucked within a larger announcement Sept. 8 allowing restaurants that self-certify their coronavirus safety measures to operate at 50% indoor capacity, up from the 25% that has been in place since July 15 and forced many eateries to rely on outdoor seating. Restaurants across the state, and country, have been among the most affected by the pandemic, calling for an increase in indoor dining capacity to help them stay afloat as colder weather approaches.
The planned restaurant capacity boost remained unchanged in the orders Thursday. Starting Monday, restaurants can begin submitting their self-certification documents to an Open & Certified Pennsylvania database.
“As we continue to take critical steps to continue to mitigate the spread of COVID-19, we also recognize that this pandemic has taken a significant toll on the food services industry, so we must balance public health and economic recovery,” Wolf said in a news release. “These orders give restaurants the ability to increase indoor occupancy safely while giving customers confidence when deciding to patronize a restaurant.”
The self-certification documents and information available online Monday will request a list of requirements contained in the restaurant industry guidance and enforcement efforts, a statement that the owner has reviewed and agrees to follow those requirements and a business’ maximum indoor occupancy based on the fire code.
Once a restaurant self-certifies, it will receive Open & Certified branded materials, such as window clings and other signage to be displayed for customers and employees.
The state is asking restaurants to complete the online self-certification by Oct. 5, which is when enforcement of the order will start. Self-certification, however, will still be available after Oct. 5.
The state said self-certifying will not lead to additional inspections, with regularly scheduled or complaint-based checks unaffected by certification status.
“Any health and safety violations from self-certified businesses will be handled first with warnings and education rather than fines or other penalties,” the state said.
That would be a step in the right direction, according to Don Ringer, owner of Ringer’s Roost in Allentown. Ringer said he wished the state, particularly the Liquor Control Board, would spend more time educating licensees of the constantly changing rules “rather than coming around and nickeling and diming us.”
While boosting indoor capacity to 50% also comes as good news, Ringer questions how quickly patrons will warm up to the idea of indoor dining again. At his restaurant, people still aren’t coming inside, yet it’s difficult to find an open table at his outdoor dining area.
To keep the outdoor dining season going even longer, Ringer said he’s going to spend $20,000 to enclose his outside dining space and install heaters. Once the project is done, he expects to use it for most of the year moving forward.
“People love sitting outside,” Ringer said. “Who the hell ever thought they would love sitting on parking lots? It’s really changed the dynamic of how people are eating.”
Want more info?
The state has released a six-page Frequently Asked Questions document, available at the Department of Community and Economic Development’s website.
Restaurant owners with additional questions can contact covidselfcert@pa.gov.