Over a week ago, state rules were relaxed to permit Oregon restaurants and bars to deliver alcohol and provide curbside pickup. As KLCC’s Brian Bull reports, it’s to help these businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic.
With no clear end of the pandemic in sight, officials fast-tracked the easing of rules, explains Mark Pettinger of the Oregon Liquor Control Commission. The temporary licenses are to help bars and restaurants through a tough time.
“That automatically allows them to do delivery or curbside delivery on the same day. So instead of just having somebody walk in with the off-premises license…a patron wanting to buy beer, wine, or hard cider…now the bar and restaurant can go to the curb and serve folks that way.”
Among those taking advantage is Colby Phillips. His business, PublicHouse in Springfield, just started alcohol delivery.
"The liquor allows us to do either packaged to go, which would be bottles and cans that are pre-packaged by breweries," explains Phillips. "We could also fill glass growlers to go, as well as crowlers, where we put it in a can and seal the lid ourself.”
Phillips says while this pandemic has been hard on local business, he's encouraged by efforts to sustain local shops, restaurants, and bars in this time.
“The community support’s been very good, as well as the support amongst other restaurant owners. There’s been a lot of camaraderie working to help each other out.”
The OLCC says in one week, 49 applications came in from the Eugene region alone. Altogether, there have been 400 applications statewide as of Thursday night.
Copyright 2020, KLCC.
