Texas Governor Greg Abbott signed a bill Wednesday that permanently allows restaurants to sell alcohol with to-go orders that also include food.
The new law allows alcoholic beverages including beer, wine, and mixed drinks to be sold with food orders at Texas restaurants, according to the Texas Tribune.
Texas law now allows alcohol to go from restaurants after Gov. Greg Abbott signs bill #TXlege https://t.co/O0HtdY2OQN
— Texas Tribune (@TexasTribune) May 12, 2021
“It turned out that Texas liked [alcohol to go] so much, the Texas Legislature wanted to make that permanent law in the state of Texas,” Abbott said, according to the Texas Tribune. (RELATED: Group Of Texas Bar Owners Sue State Over Closures Amid Coronavirus Case Surge)
The bill was approved by more than two-thirds of both the Texas House and Senate, and took effect Wednesday immediately after it was signed by Abbott.
“This new law will help businesses keep their doors open and ensure Texas keep their jobs,” Executive Director of the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission Bentley Nettles said in a press release, reports the Texas Tribune.
Abbott issued a waiver March 18, 2020, that allowed restaurants to sell alcohol with delivery food purchases, according to the Office of the Texas Governor’s website. He later announced in April 2020 that alcohol sales with to-go orders at restaurants would indefinitely continue after May 1.