—which became effective Monday night at 8 p.m. “until further notice”—still come with plenty of restrictions. For instance, most of this to-go alcohol must be sold with food . And alcohol must be sold in closed containers during normal business hours. Still, plenty of places jumped on the relaxed policy immediately.
“We launched about four hours ago, and it suddenly sort of feels like a wine shop,” Justin Chearno, partner and wine director ofin Brooklyn, told me last night, saying he was “shocked” that the New York State Liquor Authority altered their policy. “For how dark everything felt 24 hours ago, it does feel like a little bit of light.”
To take advantage, the small restaurant and wine bar announced the sales on social media and emailed wine lists to customers. Bottles are being sold at retail prices—a great opportunity for customers who might have had their eye on specific selections but were wary about paying the much higher dine-in markup. “This is allowing us to move our inventory to help pay our outstanding bills and help generate cash,” Chearno explained.
Getting back to business also provided a number of silver linings. “There were moments where I actually felt the most normal I’ve felt in a while just because I was looking at wines, talking to guests,” he added. “People are definitely taking deep dives through the list, which is fun.”was fully embracing the idea of selling wine and food for takeout together.