The pandemic plaguing the past 12 months has been detrimental to small restaurants across the nation. Nationwide, restaurant dining in 2021 is starting off down more than 50% of what it was last year. Restaurant sales were down between 50-100% from March through the end of last year (per statistia.com). Many restaurants have laid off employees, and some have been forced to close permanently.

As with any business, the cost of keeping a restaurant open is quite expensive. One of these costs that restaurant owners encounter is the annual license for beer/wine and liquor. This license is several thousand dollars in Roswell, without any pro rata options (or in the case of 2020, reimbursement for months in which liquor sales couldn't even occur).

For those restaurants still attempting to remain open, we ask that the City of Roswell offer a temporary option during this pandemic, for those restaurants to buy a less costly Bring Your Own Bottle policy that would permit patrons to bring alcohol onto their premises, in the absence of traditional alcohol licenses.

This presents as a simple request that still permits the larger businesses in the area to freely sell alcohol, but would allow smaller businesses to navigate the financial hardships of Covid while remaining open and hopefully operating on the other side of this pandemic.

We are proud to be residents of Roswell and believe that a rising tide lifts all boats. Now is the time for us to lift one another up.