Restaurants, Bars, Food Trucks

Bar and Restaurant Assistance Fund

A: The state of Ohio has created a $38.7 million fund to help provide relief for bars and restaurants that have taken a significant hit during the COVID-19 pandemic.

A: The program, funded by the CARES Act, will provide $2,500 grants to eligible liquor permit holders in the state.

A: Permit holders are encouraged to apply by December 18 to ensure the funding request can be processed before the application closes on December 30, 2020.

A: The application for the Bar and Restaurant Assistance Fund is available here. To apply, businesses are required to establish a registration ID with the state of Ohio, which provides users with secure access to assistance services and programs. Licensees must present their FEIN or SSN, liquor permit number and address for each unique location at time of application. To be considered eligible to receive relief, businesses must have had an active on-premise permit as of close-of-business on October 23, 2020. The business does not have to be currently open but must have an active liquor license.

A: You can check the status of your liquor permit here. If it’s active, it will be listed as “issued.”

A: Multiple permit holders are eligible for the $2,500 grant for each liquor permit held. Eligibility requires a permit in good standing, essentially meaning there are no tax delinquencies or violations pending. The Department of Taxation will confirm all entries. Once money is received, per CARES Act stipulation, businesses are to use the funds on COVID-related expenses due to business interruptions caused by the ongoing pandemic.

A: Permit holders may apply for the liquor assistance funding as well as the Small Business Relief Grant. Funding for the program is contingent on approval by the Ohio Controlling Board. The Ohio Department of Administrative Services will be sending checks to permit holders as soon as applications are processed.

Emergency Rule Forces Ohio Bars and Restaurants to End Alcohol Sales at 10 P.M.

A: All Ohio bars and restaurants are ordered to cease the sale of alcoholic beverages by 10 p.m. each night pursuant to an emergency adoption of the state’s Liquor Control Commission ruling signed into order by Ohio Governor Mike DeWine. The order is in response to the increasing number of COVID-19 cases in Ohio. The proposal was first announced by DeWine, promulgated by the Liquor Control Commission, and then signed as an executive order. Under the new order, establishments are mandated to stop serving alcohol by 10 p.m., and patrons must finish their drinks by 11 p.m. However, customers may continue to order food until the establishment’s closing time.

A: The new rule expands the number of to-go alcoholic drinks from two to three, if purchased with a meal.

A: DeWine pushed for the 10 p.m. cutoff, citing reports from the Ohio Investigative Unit (OIU), which enforces liquor laws statewide, of multiple instances of overpopulated patios and overflowing dance floors in contravention of existing orders.

A: The new rule remains in effect for 120 days from the date that the order went into effect (July 31, 2020), or until rescinded by the Liquor Control Commission.