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Local Syracuse Restaurants Say ‘Cheers’ to Takeaway Alcohol Local Syracuse Restaurants Say 'Cheers' to Takeaway Alcohol

To-go alcohol looks to make a return in Syracuse

By Tyler Schiff

Local Restaurants are excited about the potential business opportunities that to-go alcohol can bring
© 2020 Tyler Schiff

TYLER SCHIFF: That’s the sound of the drinks that could be making their way into Syracuse homes with the legalization of takeaway alcohol. Nick’s Tomato Pies is a family-owned pizza shop that sits on Walnut street. Nick’s has been in the same location for the last 100 years and is looking for a rebrand. Waitress Raquel Santaro is the great-great-granddaughter of the original owner and is confident that Hochul’s proposal can transform her family’s shop.

SANTARO: I would want to create like fun drinks. If we can have things to go…definitely have fun drinks cool drinks where like people come here to like come and get.

TYLER SCHIFF: Even health-conscious restaurants are looking to add to their business by including to-go alcohol in their restaurants. Original Grain specializes in wraps and organic bowls but general manager Michaela Ciciarelli believes that takeaway alcohol would be too good of a business opportunity to pass up.

CICIARELLI: I mean yeah. That would…I mean I don’t think there’d be any question about it. We’d 100 percent do to-go alcohol for sure. I think it’d be a huge success for us.

TYLER SCHIFF: During the height of the pandemic to-go alcohol helped many restaurants and bars to stay afloat which heavily influenced Hochul to make her decision. That’s the story in Syracuse… Tyler Schiff… NCC News.

SYRACUSE, N.Y. (NCC News) –Many local Syracuse restaurants are ecstatic about New York Governor Kathy Hochul’s recent proposal that would permanently legalize to-go alcohol as a part of her billion-dollar rescue plan for small businesses in the area.

Hochul’s decision was heavily influenced by how takeaway alcohol helped many family-owned stores within the state stay afloat through the height of the pandemic. In Syracuse, town favorites such as Margaritas Mexican Cantina and XO Taco happily let loyal customers take out their specialty mixed drinks.

Even with COVID-19 regulations dropping across the state, the local culinary scene has largely welcomed the potential return of to-go alcohol. Nick’s Tomato Pie is one of many eager restaurants looking to benefit from Hochul’s proposal. Located on 109 Walnut St, the pizza shop is more than 100 years old and has been family-run since its opening. Waitress Raquel Santaro is the great-great-granddaughter of Nick’s original owners and said that takeaway alcohol can help in efforts to rebrand her family’s business.

“I would want to create fun drinks,” Santaro said. “If we could have things to-go, we could make fun drinks and cool drinks that people specifically come here to get.”

Santaro’s sentiment toward Hochul’s proposal is echoed by Original Grain, a health-conscious restaurant on South Salina Street well-known for its wraps and bowls. Although Original Grain didn’t serve alcohol during the pandemic, general manager Michaela Ciciarelli said they helped their sister restaurant XO Taco think of efficient and innovative ways to package takeaway alcohol.

“We helped them incorporate to-go margaritas,” Cicirelli said. “We would put them in plastic quart containers, and everything worked out great.”

Ciciarelli said that many full-service restaurants would support the legalization of to-go alcohol returning, and is confident that Original Grain would take full advantage of the proposal this time around.

“I don’t think there’d be any question about it. We’d 100% do to-go alcohol. We do a lot of Grubhub and a lot of deliveries so I think it would be a huge success for us,” Ciciarelli said.

Hochul still hasn’t announced when the state will implement the legalization of takeaway liquor. But it’s safe to say that many local businesses are already counting down the days.

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