ATLANTA -- All restaurants in the City of Atlanta are operating under a to-go only policy after Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms signed an executive order on Thursday closing all restaurant dining rooms. After news of the order broke, the restaurant community reached out her on Twitter to advocate for the ability to also sell alcohol, a big revenue driver for the industry.
Friday morning, the mayor tweeted a picture of part of her administrative order directing the Atlanta Police Department to “refrain from taking any action to enforce any prohibitions against the sale of unopened wine and/or malt beverages,” establishments with licenses.
Now, restaurants with licenses are going to temporarily be able to allow alcoholic beverages to leave the premises. The order mentions wine and/or malt beverages but not liquor.
The exemption will only last through the emergency declaration she previously signed in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and will not exceed 60 days.
In her tweet, Bottoms said, "Thank you to all who sent helpful info to assist with our bars and restaurants."
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