A bill that would have eased the rules around how much food Virginia bars and restaurants serving liquor must sell died in the House of Delegates.
Senate Bill 168 was sent back to a committee March 5 after being read twice on the House floor. The move effectively kills the legislation for the 2023 session, since the deadline for committees to move legislation forward was March 4.
“It’s unfortunate that a pro-business, red-tape slashing bill died by process today rather than risking a vote and its potential passage,” bill sponsor and state Sen. Bryce Reeves, R-Spotsylvania, said in an email.
Restaurants and bars with mixed beverage licenses must make 45% of their total sales from food and non-alcoholic beverages. Beer and wine sales are exempt.
The bill would have reduced the ratio to 35% for food and non-alcoholic drinks for businesses making at least $4,000 but less than $35,000 in monthly food sales. Businesses posting more than $35,000 in food sales would not have to meet any ratio requirement.
The first version of the bill had smaller sales figures, requiring businesses to post just $10,000 in monthly food sales to be exempt from the ratio.
Several Hampton Roads restaurant operators voiced support for the bill. But the measure faced opposition from a Richmond-based lobbying group called the Virginia Restaurant Association, made up of owners of restaurants such as The Tobacco Company Restaurant in Richmond and Northern Virginia’s Great American Restaurants group.
Virginia Restaurant Association Director Michael Byrne said the group attempted to convince lawmakers that the legislation would bring seismic, unneeded changes to the industry.
“It apparently paid off because they were listening,” Byrne said.
In previous comments, Byrne said the bill was unfair to restaurants who have spent significant sums to build out kitchens, stock food inventory and follow regulations.
Trevor Metcalfe, 757-222-5345, trevor.metcalfe@pilotonline.com
