Norcross amends downtown dining district ordinance to add bars

The Norcross City Council recently amended the downtown dining district ordinance to address businesses that don’t meet the current 50/50 split for food and drinks. Specifically, they’ve added a new section entitled “bars.”

Now, any bar locating in downtown Norcross must have a minimum seating capacity of 40 people. The new bars must derive at least 25 percent of their total gross sales from the sale of prepared meals or food, or if a new business, fully expects to derive at least 50 percent of its total gross sales from the sale of prepared meals or food during the remainder of the current calendar quarter.

Bars must have a full-service kitchen on the premises or make prepared meals or food available from one or more licensed mobile food trucks. The bar must take food orders from customers and customers must pay the bar for food orders provided by the food trucks for the sale to count toward the bar’s percentage of gross sales. Food trucks used by the bar must be in the downtown dining district and not further than 75 feet from the bar.