Denver, CO – The Colorado Restaurant Association (CRA) and its Board of Directors are pleased to announce support of Proposition 126 (Third-Party Delivery of Alcohol Beverages), which will appear on the State Ballot in November 2022.
Proposition 126 benefits the Colorado restaurant industry by allowing third-party delivery companies to deliver alcohol directly to customers on behalf of restaurants and bars, driving additional, much-needed revenue to restaurants after two-plus long years of operational restrictions and billions in revenue losses. The CRA surveyed its members in July 2022 to gauge their interest in using third-party delivery companies to deliver to-go alcohol, and 75% of respondents said that they would utilize this allowance should Colorado voters pass the measure in November.
Most importantly, Proposition 126 secures the allowance of to-go alcohol sales for restaurants and bars in perpetuity. “We have lobbied fiercely for this allowance since the onset of the pandemic in early 2020 and were thrilled when alcohol to go legislation was signed into law in 2021,” says Sonia Riggs, President and CEO of the CRA. “Now, after two-plus years of pandemic-related hardship, continued labor shortages, skyrocketing inflation and fuel prices, and supply chain disruptions, permanently securing alcohol to go for restaurants and bars cannot come at a better time.”
Daniel Ramirez, CRA Board of Directors Chairman Elect and co-owner of Los Dos Potrillos restaurants, is just one local operator excited about the possibility of utilizing third-party delivery for to-go alcohol sales. “At the beginning of the pandemic, alcohol to go really helped our business through additional sales, but it also allowed us to provide for our customers where they were: in their homes. If third-party delivery companies can deliver alcohol with our food, that helps us continue providing deeper hospitality to our customers who wish to have their food delivered.”
Ryan Fletter, owner of Barolo Grill, agrees: “Barolo is a sommelier-driven hospitality business and extending alcohol to go allows us to continue curating our guests’ experience when they leave our four walls. It’s a win-win for our restaurant and our guests.”
Press Contact:
Denise Mickelsen, Communication Director
dmickelsen@corestaurant.org
646-373-5005 cell
