Atlanta City Council Advances Flexibility on Alcohol Promotions for Restaurants

The Atlanta City Council has approved new legislation amending the City’s alcohol code to allow restaurants greater flexibility in offering discounts on alcoholic beverages. The ordinance updates longstanding restrictions by permitting limited promotional pricing, such as happy hour-style discounts, within licensed food service establishments.

Things to Know:

• Discount limits and restrictions: Alcohol discounts cannot exceed 50% off the listed menu price, and “all-you-can-drink” or unlimited drink specials are prohibited.
  
  
• POS reporting requirement: All discounted alcohol sales must be ringed in at full menu price, with the discount separately recorded in the system for compliance and reporting.
  
  
• Private event exception: These rules do not apply to bona fide private functions that are closed to the public and booked for a defined period for consideration (e.g., contracted private events).