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RAMW Applauds Council Approval of Extended Hours
June 4, 2012
Restaurant Association Metropolitan Washington Applauds D.C. Council Final Budget Vote Approving Extended Alcohol Service Hours for Hospitality Venues
WASHINGTON, D.C. (June 5, 2012) – The Restaurant Association Metropolitan Washington (RAMW) commended the D.C. Council on final approval today of a partial extension in the maximum allowable alcohol service period at the city’s restaurants, bars and hotels beginning in the fall.
“The option for our city’s restaurants and bars to extend beverage service and operating hours is a smart forward-looking action benefiting the city, local residents and the neighborhoods in which we live,” RAMW President Lynne Breaux said in congratulating the Council on its unanimous vote approving the District’s annual budget for the fiscal year beginning Oct. 1 containing the provision. “Further, it allows our city’s elected leaders to maintain a popular pledge to not further increase the local tax burden.”
“Today’s Council action enhances the District’s reputation as a thriving world-class city with an evolving 24-hour economy,” Breaux added, “and represents the initial move toward an inevitable, across-the-board extension of hours.”
The measure permits hospitality venues to extend licensed alcoholic beverage service by one hour on holiday-related dates. D.C. Mayor Vincent Gray, who had proposed the service extension option on a year-round basis in order to generate a minimum $3.21 million in additional sales tax revenues, previously announced his support for the Council compromise. The supplemental tax monies to be generated by the service extension helped the Council eliminate a projected city budget deficit without increasing local taxes or fees for both residents and businesses.
“The option for our city’s restaurants and bars to extend beverage service and operating hours is a smart forward-looking action benefiting the city, local residents and the neighborhoods in which we live,” RAMW President Lynne Breaux said in congratulating the Council on its unanimous vote approving the District’s annual budget for the fiscal year beginning Oct. 1 containing the provision. “Further, it allows our city’s elected leaders to maintain a popular pledge to not further increase the local tax burden.”
“Today’s Council action enhances the District’s reputation as a thriving world-class city with an evolving 24-hour economy,” Breaux added, “and represents the initial move toward an inevitable, across-the-board extension of hours.”
The measure permits hospitality venues to extend licensed alcoholic beverage service by one hour on holiday-related dates. D.C. Mayor Vincent Gray, who had proposed the service extension option on a year-round basis in order to generate a minimum $3.21 million in additional sales tax revenues, previously announced his support for the Council compromise. The supplemental tax monies to be generated by the service extension helped the Council eliminate a projected city budget deficit without increasing local taxes or fees for both residents and businesses.
