COLLEGE STATION, Texas — With the new alcohol delivery law passing on September 1, the Texas Restaurant Association and TABC are partnering to teach restaurant owners across the state how to safely and legally home deliver drinks.
On Tuesday afternoon, they met up at World of Beer in College Station.
According to Melissa Stewart, the Executive Director of the Texas Restaurant Association, “Any time you do something with alcohol, you have to be very very specific on what the laws and rules are, as well as being very very careful about how you’re dispensing it.”
That’s why the Texas Restaurant Association partnered with the TABC to show local restaurateurs the fairly new ropes.
Before September 1, restaurants couldn’t deliver alcoholic beverages to someone’s home, but now restaurants with permits are able to deliver them to homes as long as those requesting them are over 21, not intoxicated and they order a meal with the beverage.
Meaning restaurants and services like Uber Eats can get a lot more business, but with that comes more responsibilities.
“We are looking for a training program for all delivery personnel. As well as, in conjunction with the safe harbor training we do with our regular bartenders... the driver will have to be 21, and they’ll have to check id for whoever the recipient is,” Stewart said.
Something Blake Zeitman, the President of the Brazos Valley Restaurant Association and owner of Blake's Steaks in College Station, doesn't take lightly.
“My role is to facilitate these types of classes for our local community. We follow laws and regulations. Our goal is to make our members aware of those laws and regulations so that we can follow those and be as safe as possible. We don’t want anyone drinking and driving. We want everybody to drink responsibly,” said Zeitman.
While attending this class will bring lasting piece of mind those facilitating it want to make sure restaurant owners know the laws and regulations are still developing.
"They are still honing the way that it’ll be put together. Our members need to stay aware they need to continue to follow the rules laid down by TABC,” Zeitman said.
Nettles: “these kind of classes help people understand the left and right limits. And most business owners are just that, and they want to comply with the law. And they want to be good citizens of the community. That’s what we have in common with them. We want to protect texas communities.”