"As in any industry, bars and restaurants need to adapt or they will falter," Light noted.
Ken Lineberger, founder and CEO of Waters Edge Wineries – a single-brand winery with more than a dozen locations throughout California, Illinois, Kentucky, Montana, Ohio and Oklahoma – told FOX he isn’t certain that Dry January has played a role in the company’s on-premise sales. He added, "Despite all of this, our January sales are expected to be comparable to 2021 sales, if not slightly better due to the improving economy in most areas of the country. It is unclear if Dry January is having any negative impact on our sales given these other factors that may be influencing it in a more pronounced way.
With locations in Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey and Pennsylvania, Margaritas hasn’t been immune to external factors like winter storms, but the company has "shifted up to 20%" of its dining business to takeout, according to Ray.
Bars were packed in Northern Virginia this month.