Alcohol law change could make Dalton more attractive

Published 10:02 pm Sunday, September 27, 2015

Imagine having dinner at a downtown restaurant, getting a beer to go and then strolling around downtown, maybe meeting friends at a nearby bar.

The Dalton City Council is considering an ordinance that would let you do just that.

The law would allow licensed restaurants and bars within the downtown Dalton business district to sell alcoholic beverages of up to 16 ounces in a plastic or paper cup to patrons who could then carry them outside within the business district.

The proposed ordinance was requested by the Downtown Dalton Development Authority (DDDA), which says that cities that have areas that serve as hubs for dining and entertainment allow patrons to move from one establishment to another with a drink in their hands.

Currently, patrons may only drink poured beverages inside a bar or restaurant or in any outdoor areas they have.

The downtown business district is bordered on the north by Waugh Street, on the east by the railway track, on the south by Morris Street and on the west by Thornton Avenue.

Council members seem favorable to the law, but they recently tabled it, asking for a couple of changes. One would require that drinks to be carried out be served in easily identifiable cups. Since it would otherwise remain illegal to carry an open container of alcohol, this makes perfect sense.

The second would end carrying alcohol outside at midnight. The DDDA says it supports both these measures.

After these changes are made, we hope the council quickly approves the ordinance. We believe it can only help bring business downtown.

We know that some people have expressed a fear that allowing patrons to carry alcohol out of restaurants could increase the homeless presence downtown. These people have apparently never priced the drinks in downtown restaurants. If a person’s goal is simply to get inebriated, there are far cheaper ways to do it than by paying retail for a poured drink.

If the council can help downtown become a hub for dining and entertainment, it could pay off for the city as a whole, making it more attractive to young adults.