The time has come, Gwinnett.
Earlier Sunday drink sales — the long-lobbied-for 90 extra minutes of restaurant-based alcohol consumption — arrive this weekend.
The Gwinnett Board of Commissioners voted Tuesday afternoon to amend the county’s alcohol ordinance, clearing the way for alcoholic drink sales to begin at 11 a.m. (instead of 12:30 p.m.) on Sundays.
The change is effective immediately.
It covers only restaurants in unincorporated parts of the county. Local cities who held referendums have determined their own start dates.
Gwinnett was dozens of communities in metro Atlanta and across the state where voters approved a referendum regarding the additional hours during the Nov. 6 general election. About 64 percent of Gwinnett voters cast their ballots in favor of the measure.
Senate Bill 17 — the so-called "Brunch Bill" or "Mimosa Mandate" — passed through Georgia's legislature earlier this year, giving local governments the opportunity to call referendums if they so choose.
Advocates of the extra hours, including the Georgia Restaurant Association, have touted it as a positive move for businesses.
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