The RI Hospitality Association (RIHA), in collaboration with Rhode Island Gov. Gina Raimondo,  announced on March 20 that Rhode Island restaurants that are currently serving take-out meals are now allowed to sell beer and wine to their customers.  This only applies to restaurant pick-up orders and is not available for delivery service from individual restaurants or through third-party delivery services. The alcohol was must be in the original factory sealed container.

The Governor’s executive order went into effect at 8:30 p.m. on March 20, 2020 until March 30, 2020. The order has several stipulations that restaurants must adhere to including:

•  Limited to the sale of beer and wine only
•  Limited to 144 oz. of beer and up to two bottles of wine per order
•  The alcohol must be in the original factory sealed container
•  Customer must display identification upon pickup
•  Only eligible for takeout. Not available for delivery from individual restaurants or third-party delivery services

“In this really difficult time, we appreciate Governor Raimondo’s leadership and willingness to work with our industry to ease current restrictions on beer/wine take out sales, and provide an additional relief option to our industry, ” said Dale J. Venturini, President/CEO of the RI Hospitality Association and the RI Hospitality Education Foundation. “We are also thankful to the Rhode Island legislature for their collaboration to get this done. We ask that all restaurants that participate operate to the letter of the law so that our entire industry who can participate will benefit.”

On March 17,  Gov. Raimondo and state administration mandated that all restaurants transition to take out and curbside pickup in ongoing efforts to curb the spread of coronavirus.