Alpharetta is poised to uncork a new law that would make it one of only a handful of metro area cities outside Atlanta allowing guests to enjoy dining out with their own bottle of wine.
The City Council is scheduled to vote on its proposed “brown bag” law tonight. The measure received unanimous approval on its first reading last month.
“This has been brought up off and on over the past several years,” said Alpharetta Councilman Chris Owens. “I think what it will do is give our restaurant owners a choice and allow them to be more flexible in better serving their customers.”
The issue was sparked this time around by Windward resident Tim Harrington, a wine collector from California, who asked the City Council to consider allowing the practice.
“I was used to bringing my own bottle of wine when I went out to a restaurant, but I have to go to Johns Creek or Buckhead,” he said. “This would be good for the consumer, and to a certain extent, good for the restaurant. It would be good for Alpharetta, because it keeps my money here.”
Georgia law already allows patrons to take wine purchased at a restaurant home with them, so long as it was served with a meal and is resealed and locked in the vehicle away from the driver.
Alpharetta’s ordinance would allow restaurants with liquor licenses to permit customers to bring their own wine, have it with their meal, then recork it for transport home. A minimum $10 corkage fee would be charged for the service. The law gives restaurants the option to participate.
Some metro cities have considered a brown bag law, but few have followed through, generally through lack of interest.
Marietta and Decatur do not allow it, and Roswell has a specific law prohibiting the practice.
“It may be addressed when [the City Council] considers Sunday alcohol sales,” said Roswell Assistant City Attorney Bob Hulsey. “We have made at least a couple of council members aware that Alpharetta was going to do that in case they wanted to change it.”
Duluth City Administrator Phil McLemore said he has brought it up to the City Council before, but nothing has come of it.
Some restaurant operators opposed it, he said, arguing that it would not be fair to pay for a liquor license, then have patrons provide their own wine.
The issue is not even on the radar in Snellville, according to City Manager Russell Treadway. Residents passed a referendum last summer allowing restaurants to serve alcohol on Sundays.
Alpharetta restaurateurs say they will tread slowly.
Jeff Reed, general manager at Ippolito’s on Ga. 9, said he thinks the new law might be a good idea, but he would limit the practice to special occasions, such as birthdays, and for special bottles of wine not offered on the menu.
“I don’t think you’d want to get into a situation where somebody could just go to a grocery store and purchase a bottle of wine and bring it into your restaurant, just to save money,” he said.
Jason Zaleski, general manager at Cabernet Restaurant on Windward Parkway, said he thinks the new law might be good for those diners who want to enjoy a specialty wine they’ve been saving.
“Sometimes there are wines not available in the state, or it might be something you’ve been saving for a long time,” he said. “That wouldn’t be something we’d be against.”
Keith Kendrick, general manager of Ray’s Killer Creek on Mansell Road, said the city’s current law has hindered his business. People interested in a celebratory wine with dinner go to Johns Creek or Sandy Springs, he said.
“It’s a service we’d like to provide,” Kendrick said. “People usually don’t abuse it.”
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