The petition has nearly 9,000 signatures.
As the rooms of thousands of bars, brewers, and restaurants remain empty throughout the duration of Illinois’ stay-at-home order, many owners are pleading with government officials to authorize the sell and distribution of artisan cocktails to-go.
The petition, called Cocktails for Hope | Cocktails To Go, was initiative started by Julia Momose, Partner and Creative Director at Kumiko in Fulton River District.
Yesterday, Momose wrote an open letter to Governor JB Pritzker on Instagram:
“I am writing on behalf of bars and restaurants, our staff, our vendors, our loyal patrons and the 8,000 Illinoisans who have signed a petition asking for an allowance to be made to temporarily allow the sale of pre-mixed cocktails bottled by on-premise establishments.”
Momose cites in her post how 17 states across the country have granted the sale of pre-mixed cocktails in order to aid struggling restaurants, bars, cafes, and restaurants.
While Illinois has alleviated some restrictions, such as the sale and delivery of packaged goods like beer, the state still prohibits the sale and delivery of pre-mixed cocktails. This restriction, the petition points out, comes at the cost of independent business owners across the state.
“We need the State of Illinois to allow bars and restaurants with on-premise licenses to sell their carefully crafted cocktails as a way to increase revenue during these trying times,” the petition reads.
Momose describes in her post how granting this initiative would bring back tens of thousands of jobs, as well as boost revenue with four times the margin of food sales.
Cocktails for Hope | Cocktails To-Go is directed at those in power to granted the requested changes, including: Governor JB Pritzker; Chairman of the Liquor Control Commission, Cynthia Berg; and Executive Director of the Illinois Liquor Control Commission, Chima Enyia.
In addition to signing, the petition encourages those in favor of the initiative to contact their Alderman and voice their opinions on the matter.
“Governor, please give the bars and restaurants of Illinois the chance to create more sustainable cash flow. Please, consider this not only as an opportunity to restore businesses, but hope as well,” Momose writes.
Presently, the petition has 8,920 signatures. Here’s where to sign.
[Featured image: @cocktailbart via unsplash]