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A lifeline for some, a burden for others: To-go alcohol sales get mixed reviews from restaurants
Austin sports bar owner Trey Dart was excited—along with the general drinking community—when last month Gov. Greg Abbott told establishments like his that they could sell cocktails to go during the pandemic shutdown.
"We saw it as one form of relief to help restaurants and bars weather this storm," said Dart, who owns Shooter's Billiards, where alcohol accounts for more than half of his sales.
The buzz wore off, he said, when it became clear that the new rules would increase his financial risk and lower his margin. That is a deadly combination at a time when Texas restaurants have seen a 70% drop in business and been forced to lay off at least 60% of the workforce, estimated at 1.2 million in the state, according to the Texas Restaurant Association.
The problem is that the rules, clarified by the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission within a few days of the governor's March 18 order, still forbid the sale of drinks mixed in-house to be picked up or delivered.
Restaurants are allowed only to serve cocktail setups—without the alcohol in them—to go. The accompanying alcohol must be in the form of sealed single or double-shot alcohol bottles purchased from the local package store.
So while Austin is excited about Abbott's comment this week that "alcohol-to-go sales" may become a fixture in Texas, the reaction from restaurants is mixed.
For some, like Curra's Grill in South Austin, they've been a lifeline. For others, like Taco Flats, it isn't worth the trouble.
"There's no margin in it," said Simon Madera, founder and owner of Taco Flats, which is not serving the drink kits because he said the demand isn't there.
Dart also saw the kits as a risk he wasn't ready to take because he would have to purchase the single-serve bottles, which cost much more than the large handles used behind the bar.
"Sinking money into additional inventory just doesn't make fiscal sense in this environment," he said.
Neither availed themselves of a law passed last year allowing them to offer mixed drink set-ups through delivery services.
What would truly help restaurants and bars is to be allowed to mix cocktails and pour glasses of wine, seal them at the restaurant and sell them to go, said local attorney Kareem Hajjar, who represents thousands of restaurant and bar locations in Texas, including several hundred in Austin.
That lets them clear inventory from the bar, employ bartenders, raise their margins, and attract more drink customers, he said.
But regardless of what version he supports, if any, Abbott can't change the alcoholic beverage code by himself—this is why his much-celebrated Tweet included the hashtag #txlege—so any permanence would require the act of a legislature that is not historically prone to quick changes to the code.
Alcohol-to-go sales can continue after May 1. From what I hear from Texans, we may just let this keep on going for… https://t.co/w8Nw1V91Lj— Greg Abbott (@Greg Abbott)1588130317.0
Some restaurants have found a way to profit from the setups, however. Jorge Garcia, the founder of Curra's, says the restaurant sells close to 150 to-go margarita set-ups per day at about $10 each.
About 90% of those sales are Curra's signature avocado margaritas, Garcia said. The iconic 25-year-old restaurant is on the edge of Travis Heights, whose residents are tipping handsomely during the shutdown.
Not all restaurants are so lucky, he said, but he knows several that have figured out a winning formula.
"That is what has saved Curra's Grill and many restaurants in Austin, the ability to send drinks out," he said. "So I hope this to-go business lasts forever."
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Austin FC couldn't find the stamina to fight off a 2-0 loss against LAFC for their inaugural match on Saturday.
The match, which saw No. 21 Austin FC go head-to-head with No. 2 LAFC in Los Angeles, was broadcast nationally on FOX and FOX Deportes.
Salute the support. 👏
It's only the beginning for @AustinFC. pic.twitter.com/TduorqYr2y
— Major League Soccer (@MLS) April 18, 2021
Eleven players took the stage as Austin FC players for the first time, with five starters making their MLS debut. "Ringleader" Alex Ring took the captain's armband and wore it well. The defensive midfielder could be seen leading his teammates through their first ever match, but it wasn't enough to stage an Austin takeover in LA.
In the signature style of Head Coach Josh Wolff, the team played with quickness and intensity, nearly connecting on several fast breaks. It was harder for them to stay in front, however, something that Wolff credits with quick decision making and a tough LAFC defense.
"We have a quick attacking team, but I think when you make quick attacks and it fizzles it's just about some decision making," Wolff said. "Are we in position to finish attacks? If not, can we reestablish our attack and get stuff better?"
The club was given some generous breaks from No. 2 LAFC, who had one or both of their star DPs out for the half. While forward Diego Rossi is out for the entire match due to a hamstring injury, Carlos Vela was accidentally pulled too soon on what turned out to be a miscommunication.
"He gave us the sign that he needed to come off," LAFC Head Coach Bob Bradley said on broadcast. "I can't say more than maybe it's my fault."
LA pulled some dramatics and slowly gained more possession throughout the half, but ATXFC's defense wasn't initially as shaky as it seemed in preseason. Jhohan Romana has pulled his weight in getting the ball out of goal, and a 34-year old Matt Besler held his own in center back.
As the second half commenced, however, it became clear that LAFC had the advantage over Austin's first major league team.
Goalkeeper Brad Stuver had his work cut out for him, fending off 24 shot attempts, 11 of which were on goal. He didn't have much time to prepare, either: in the first 30 seconds of play, Stuver had already made a save to keep the match 0-0.
LAFC finally connected in the 61st minute of play as Corey Baird shot one into the bottom right corner. The team capitalized off their momentum and put one past Stuver a second time, drawing roars of approval from the LAFC crowd.
While some last-minute attempts from Jon Gallagher and others were made, Austin FC didn't have the endurance to bring a tie. After seven additional minutes of stoppage time, the club lost their first match 2-0.
While the scoreboard tells one story, Wolff said that the team did well considering the skill of LAFC and the pressure of their club debut.
"We've got to be realistic," Wolff said. "This is the first time this organization has been in front of TV with an opportunity to show itself and I think there were some promising moments. And we're going to maximize those and continue to try to develop those, but there's lots to build on."
The team may have lost, but it still won the support of thousands of Verde fans, dozens of which made it to watch their team's first match. When Stuver and the team made it to bthe stadium, Los Verdes fans were already there to show support, and Stuver said his wife saw the same back in Austin.
"The moment that we pulled into the stadium, we saw Black and Verde fans cheering us on as we got to the stadium," Stuver said. "During warm up, you can just look around and see different groups sitting in different sections of the stadium and it's just truly amazing to see the support in our first game. We know that we want to give the fans everything, because this we play for the city and we play for them."