The Anchorage Assembly is now allowing restaurants to serve alcohol two hours earlier.
The ordinance approved by the body Tuesday night says restaurants can start serving alcohol at 8 a.m. — effective immediately.
Tiffany Hall testified against the measure. Hall is director of Recover Alaska, a nonprofit aimed at reducing alcohol abuse, and she said the ordinance would increase drinking.
“No credible authority disputes the consensus that increased alcohol results in increased harms,” Hall said.
Assembly Chair Chris Constant said he understood those concerns, but he said he felt that restaurant operators and their customers could drink responsibly.
“I believe that the brunch hour is a worthy offering to the operators who made it through the pandemic, who are making it through the transformation of our economy to a cannabis economy, at the same time there’s an alcohol economy going on,” Constant said. “And this is an opportunity.”
Silvia Villamedes is executive director of the Alaska Hospitality Retailers organization, which represents restaurant workers. She supported the measure, saying it would foster local business and allow alcohol to be served with brunch. She asked that the measure be changed to also allow liquor stores to open earlier than noon on Sundays.
“Changing package store hours on Sundays from to 10 a.m., like they do throughout the state and as other licensees can do in our community,” Villamedes suggested.
The ordinance was amended: Liquor stores can now open at 10 a.m. on Sunday. The Assembly approved the measure by a 10 to 1 vote, with Anna Brawley opposed.
Wesley Early covers Anchorage life and city politics for Alaska Public Media. Reach him at wearly@alaskapublic.org and follow him on X at @wesley_early. Read more about Wesley here.
