- Target:
- Virginia state legislature
- Region:
- United States of America
Many restaurants in the state of Virginia that serve mixed beverages have been heavily burdened with a ratio requirement that is impossible to maintain, especially as liquor costs rise.
Currently the law states:
§ 4.1-210. Mixed beverages licenses.
A. Subject to the provisions of § 4.1-124, the Board may grant the following licenses relating to mixed beverages:
1. Mixed beverage restaurant licenses, which shall authorize the licensee to sell and serve mixed beverages for consumption in dining areas and other designated areas of such restaurant. Such license may be granted only to persons (i) who operate a restaurant and (ii) whose gross receipts from the sale of food cooked or prepared, and consumed on the premises and nonalcoholic beverages served on the premises, after issuance of such license, amount to at least 45 percent of the gross receipts from the sale of mixed beverages and food. ...
Even if every patron purchased an inexpensive meal, if they also purchased two mixed drinks, the ratio would not be met.
Many restaurants that offer late night live music and dancing have found that their mixed beverage sales during the weekend completely surpasses their food sales for the week by far more than a 45:55 ratio.
How are restaurants that also serve as music venues or karaoke bars supposed to handle this except to shut down at night, which would cause them to lose business and cost the state considerable tax revenue?
We, the undersigned, hereby petition the Virginia state legislature to remove the ratio requirement [see (ii) of § 4.1-210 in the Code of Virginia] from the mixed beverage license regulations.
The ratio requirement puts an undue hardship on businesses, especially during difficult economic times.
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The Repeal the Ratio Requirement petition to Virginia state legislature was written by Cindy Sousa and is in the category Business at GoPetition.