resdivinae t1_ja8v1rh wrote on February 27, 2023 at 6:28 PM

Reply to comment by fidel1o in Things DC does really well by erichinnw

Legally, VA does not have stand-alone bars. There are only restaurants that serve alcohol. Any establishment that serves alcohol must earn 51% of its revenue from food sales.

BirdLawyerPerson t1_ja9rlxf wrote on February 27, 2023 at 9:53 PM

Not only that, they must also have a certain percentage of their floor space and seats in a traditional dining room setting.

So even if they're serving enough food to cover the revenue requirement, it'd be illegal to open a bar that just has a bar and barstools.

Plus they're not allowed to keep the bar open for drinks unless the kitchen is also open for food orders.

XcXBOX360 t1_ja92rfn wrote on February 27, 2023 at 7:17 PM

How does that work if they happen to get a bunch of customers who only buy booze and throw off the ratio? Do they just stop selling drinks until enough people have bought food again?

resdivinae t1_ja94gyv wrote on February 27, 2023 at 7:27 PM

I'm not sure, tbh. But judging by the lack of generous happy hours around here, I think that might be one tactic used.

Also, one time I went to the Brass Rabbit in Clarendon for a $3 wine night. Of course, it turned out that was too good to be true. Wine was only $3 is you ordered it with food.

NorseTikiBar t1_ja9ogzt wrote on February 27, 2023 at 9:33 PM

It's more in how you'll see square footage allocated. There's always going to be a few extra tables next to a dance floor, and the kitchen is likely to stay open longer. They're mostly subtle things that you wouldn't think about, but it does mean that a small bar like Showtime couldn't work in VA.

marcove3 t1_jaak1gc wrote on February 28, 2023 at 1:11 AM

Does this apply to breweries? Or only for places that sell spirits? I feel I've been to breweries/wineries in VA that dont sell food or just have food trucks that dont seem to be affiliated to the establishment.

mthchsnn t1_jaavqxz wrote on February 28, 2023 at 2:37 AM

If you produce alcohol it's a different kind of license, and if you do it on a farm it's another different kind of license. The rule doesn't apply to wineries, for example.