Emergency resolution in Jacksonville would allow to-go alcohol sales

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — During the COVID-19 pandemic, restaurants like The Local in Neptune Beach have had to get creative to stay afloat.

Even now, they’re back open, but capacity inside is capped at 25%.

“It’s not the best-case scenario, obviously,” General Manager Sam Valoff said. “We do have some people laid off still.”

Packing up to-go alcohol has been a way for restaurants to make more money and keep staff, but it was no longer legal with the expiration of Florida Governor Ron DeSantis’ executive order. Now, some Jacksonville city council members are trying to change that.

“This would be a critical piece of the puzzle to keep our bartenders, our restaurant workers, and, frankly, our restaurant managers in business so that they can keep going to work, they can pay their rent and they can be employed,” councilman Rory Diamond said. “We’re facing record levels of unemployment, hunger, homelessness, this is one small thing we can do to keep one of these businesses alive.”

Diamond said the emergency resolution would expire as soon as the restrictions are lifted.

This would also allow for more exterior seating for restaurants and outdoor areas for retail shops, with certain restrictions.

Back at The Local, Valoff said this could be a game-changer.

“It only helps it, we actually have someone separately staffed just to kind of handle that situation right now, so it’s definitely adding another job for us,” Valoff said.

Action News Jax asked for recent DUI statistics. Neptune Beach Police said that they are drastically down from this time last year. Officers said in April and May of last year there were 21 DUIs. There have only been 3 in that same time span of this year. The Atlantic Beach Police Department said between April and May of last year, there were two DUI arrests. Within the same time span of this year, there has only been one DUI arrest.

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