Currently, movie theaters must have full kitchens and tables inside the screening rooms to sell alcohol to adults.
Under the Governor’s proposal, adults holding tickets to movies rated PG-13 or higher could purchase alcoholic beverages, provided only one drink could be sold to a customer at a time. This proposal will provide theater operators with additional revenues, assist in the economic development of downtowns, and provide New York craft producers with additional retail outlets, he said.
“New York’s craft beverage industry is flourishing thanks to eight years of targeted investments and forward-thinking policies that are attracting new businesses and supporting our booming tourism industry,” Cuomo said. “This measure will remove outdated Prohibition-era rules that hamper private sector investment, ensure we’re training the next generation of workers in a critical industry and give more New Yorkers the opportunity to responsibly enjoy a drink at the movies.”
Cuomo also proposes amending New York’s Tied House Law to match the federal approach. He says New York’s law is needlessly difficult.
In another bev/al development, Cuomo is proposing creation of a post-secondary institution license under the ABC Law. Currently, licensing an educational institution for alcoholic beverage manufacturing is overly complicated, with institutions interested in teaching the production of the various types of alcoholic beverages requiring multiple applications and separate licenses.
Additionally, higher education institutions cannot sell the craft beverages their students produce in a restaurant setting without being granted a special exception by the legislature. These requirements can limit educational programs and training opportunities for students eager to gain these in-demand skills.
The proposal would allow educational institutions to produce any alcoholic beverage under one license and the ability to retail their products under the same license. This proposal will help continue the growth of New York’s surging craft beverage industry by making it easier for the state’s higher educational institutions in creating a skilled and knowledgeable workforce, Cuomo said.
New York now ranks in the top five in the U.S. for its number of craft beverage producers in every category. The state ranks first in the U.S. for the number of hard cider producers, second in craft distillers, third in breweries, and fourth in the country for the total number of wineries.