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“New York’s hospitality industry is unmatched, and our restaurants, bars and nightlife are a big part of what makes our communities so vibrant,” Governor Hochul said. “By eliminating this antiquated restriction on dancing, we’re making it easier for businesses to succeed and for New Yorkers and visitors alike to experience the energy and excitement that define our state.”

New York State Liquor Authority Chair Lily M. Fan said, “Governor Hochul has made clear that New York should be supporting vibrant communities, thriving small businesses, and a hospitality industry that reflects the way people live and gather today. This change does exactly that. The SLA should be focused on public safety, quality of life, and the overall operation of licensed businesses — not on whether patrons choose to dance. Under Governor Hochul’s leadership, we are continuing to remove unnecessary barriers and support the restaurants, bars, and venues that help make New York’s communities dynamic, welcoming, and full of energy. Dancing is good for the soul. Let’s celebrate!”

Key changes under this new policy include:

• The SLA will no longer consider responses related to patron dancing when evaluating applications for on-premises liquor licenses.
• Applicants will no longer be required to disclose whether patron dancing will be permitted on the Authority’s on-premises license application, method of operation change application, municipal notice form, public interest questionnaire and other related materials.
• Applicants may omit or leave blank any such questions without impacting the evaluation of their application.
• This policy change applies to all new applications, including those currently under review that have not yet been approved.

New York City Hospitality Alliance Executive Director Andrew Rigie and New York City Hospitality Alliance Counsels Robert Bookman and Max Bookman said, “We commend Governor Hochul and State Liquor Authority Chair Fan for working with the NYC Hospitality Alliance to remove outdated dancing restrictions from the SLA licensing process – a critical step after the historic repeal of the discriminatory cabaret law. This change builds on decades of advocacy to dismantle outdated restrictions on dancing and cultural expression in New York City. New Yorkers and visitors from around the world go out to gather, celebrate, dance, and experience our vibrant nightlife, and this action helps ensure everyone can celebrate and connect more freely and safely.”

Empire State Restaurant and Tavern Association Executive Director Scott Wexler said, "Hallelujah, the State Liquor Authority is calling off the "dancing police" in bars and restaurants in New York. For nearly 100 years since the repeal of Prohibition, operators of restaurants had to get special permission from the Liquor Authority to permit patrons to dance. In what resembled a scene from the movie "Footloose" owners would need to stop their customers from dancing to the jukebox or risk getting shut down. With this common sense change the Liquor Authority is removing the shroud from New Yorkers' dance card - so let's dance!”

New York State Latino Restaurant Bar & Lounge Association President Sandra Jaquez said, “For New York’s minority-owned restaurants, bars, and lounges, music and dancing are central to how our communities gather, celebrate, and support vibrant neighborhoods. We applaud Governor Hochul and Chair Lily Fan for removing outdated restrictions around patron dancing and taking a commonsense step toward modernizing New York’s hospitality rules. This change will help small businesses better serve their customers, strengthen commercial corridors, and continue contributing to the culture and economy of communities across the state.”

New York State Restaurant Association President and CEO Melissa Fleischut said, “Thank you Governor Hochul and the State Liquor Authority for addressing regulatory red tape. Today's decision shows their continued commitment to modernizing and updating the antiquated alcohol laws that make it difficult to open and maintain a restaurant or bar. We look forward to continuing to work with them to help the hospitality industry thrive.”

Licensees that currently have restrictions related to patron dancing may apply to modify their method of operation if they wish to allow dancing at their establishment.

The SLA will continue to review each application based on public convenience and advantage and the overall method of operation, while enforcing all laws and regulations related to noise, disorderly conduct and public safety. Businesses must continue to comply with all applicable municipal laws, regulations or zoning requirements related to dancing, entertainment and use of space.

Additional guidance on this new policy is available on the SLA’s website.

Governor Hochul made this one of her affordability agenda priorities in recognition of the rising cost of operating a small business. SLA Chair Lily Fan persuaded the Governor that this was essential to support small business – and so the Governor and her team dug in to get this included in the final state budget. The current fees charges for split case, delivery, storage, etc. remain in place until the Liquor Authority acts to regulate them. We’re awaiting guidance from the SLA, including a timeline for imposing the needed restrictions. Stay tuned!

In addition, the maximum upfront policy discount available to Safety Group 554 members for the upcoming September 30, 2026 to September 30, 2027 period will remain 32.5 percent. The policy discount is determined by the policyholder’s overall 5-year loss experience

In addition, Governor Hochul is working with the legislature to authorize temporary expansion of permissible operating hours during the World Cup, allowing bars, restaurants and other eligible on-premises establishments to remain open whenever matches are broadcast live. For the duration of the tournament, such legislation would allow licensed businesses in counties with earlier closing hours to operate until 4:00 a.m. and would temporarily supersede more restrictive hours imposed as conditions on individual licenses by the State Liquor Authority, establishing a clear and uniform statewide framework for safe and orderly World Cup celebrations.

“We want to make sure all New Yorkers can watch the World Cup in community spaces, and all businesses that want to show matches can be open to the public while they're broadcast live,” Governor Hochul said. “With the new World Cup One-Day Permit, businesses across the state can host off-site activities throughout the duration of the World Cup tournament instead of just a few days.”

Event organizers and licensees may use the State Liquor Authority’s existing One-Day Alcohol Event Permit process to apply for the World Cup One-Day Permit for off-premises viewing events, including fan festivals, watch parties and similar activations.

To streamline the process, applicants may request up to 12 one-day permits within a single application. Organizers hosting more than 12 events may submit multiple applications, each including up to 12 one-day permit requests.

Existing on-premises licensees may also apply for the World Cup One-Day Permit to extend service into contiguous unlicensed outdoor areas and bars and set up TVs throughout the duration of the World Cup events.

More information on the World Cup One-Day Permit, including how and where to apply, is available on the State Liquor Authority’s website.

“When inventory runs low, this commonsense fix allows on-premises establishments to buy 6 bottles per week from a local liquor store and continue service. New York’s restaurant, tavern, and bar operators are our agency’s largest constituency. Collectively, they are the State’s largest number of small businesses and is the State’s largest employer. Their success is the State’s abundance.” Said New York State Liquor Authority Chair Lily M. Fan.

The SLA noted bars and restaurants will occasionally run out of a particular wine or spirit in the middle of a service. In the past, these businesses were not allowed to immediately replenish their bottles outside of arranging a delivery of the out-of-stock products from a wholesaler, leading to lost sales.

Under this new law, bars, restaurants and any establishment licensed for on-premises consumption can purchase up to six bottles total per week of wine or liquor from a liquor store or wine shop. Off-premises retail licensees are also limited to selling up to six bottles per week to bars and restaurants. Both on-premises and off-premises licensees must keep records of each transaction and make them available for inspection by the New York State Liquor Authority.

Additional details on the new law may be found HERE.

New York bartenders who see the last bottle of gin circling the drain during a Saturday rush no longer have to cross their fingers and pray the distributor shows up. As of March 5, 2026, bars and restaurants across the state can legally swing by nearby liquor stores for small top-ups, a change operators say will keep cocktails flowing and stress levels down when deliveries are delayed. It is one of several winter moves aimed at modernizing New York's Alcoholic Beverage Control system and giving small hospitality businesses a bit more breathing room.

What the law does
The measure (S.409A/A.7464B) allows establishments licensed for on-premises consumption to buy up to six bottles total per week of wine and/or spirits from an off-premises retail licensee. On the flip side, retailers are limited to selling no more than six bottles per week to those business customers. Both sides of the transaction must keep detailed records and be ready to show them to regulators, according to the New York State Liquor Authority.

Why lawmakers pushed the change
Lawmakers cast the tweak as cleaning up an odd Prohibition-era holdover that left small restaurants and bars at the mercy of set distributor schedules. If a delivery was late or a crowd was heavier than expected, operators risked running dry with no legal backup plan. The Times Union reported the bill passed by wide margins and noted a behind-the-scenes lobbying battle, including a now-rescinded memo from a major distributor that had pushed back against retail-to-retail sales.

How owners expect to use it
Local operators say this is more safety valve than revolution. Capital Region restaurateur Dominick Purnomo told WAMC the new rules will let staff legally replace a nearly empty bottle in a pinch instead of risking an enforcement hit or turning a customer away. Small pub owners have echoed that logic, pointing out that limited distributor options and weekend delivery gaps have sometimes left bars with bare shelves in the middle of peak service, as reported by News10.

Recordkeeping and oversight
Regulators have been clear that this is not a backdoor rewrite of the whole distribution system. The six-bottle-per-week cap and the strict recordkeeping rules are designed to keep retail purchases firmly in the "emergency top-up" category rather than a replacement for wholesale orders. The State Liquor Authority has framed the change as a tightly controlled, short-term relief valve that supports neighborhood liquor stores while preserving traceability and public safety oversight, according to its guidance.

Legal implications
Under the old setup, hopping over to a liquor shop between deliveries could land a bar or restaurant in serious trouble. If enforcement officers caught the violation, owners faced what regulators and operators described as steep penalties, sometimes topping $1,500 in fines. The Times Union reported that cutting down that penalty cliff for small businesses, while keeping firm limits on quantities and paperwork, was one of the key motivations behind the new law.

Supporters describe the reform as a modest but meaningful win for neighborhood restaurants, taverns and the liquor shops that help keep them stocked. Lawmakers and regulators have hinted that more Alcoholic Beverage Control updates could be on the way as the broader overhaul continues. Hudson Valley Press and several industry groups have already applauded the change and are pressing for additional tweaks in the 2026 legislative session.

New Yorkers can now enjoy wine and spirits sourced directly from their favorite local liquor shops right at their beloved neighborhood bar, thanks to a new state law that went into effect this month.

The New York State Liquor Authority (SLA) now allows bars, restaurants and other “on-premises” establishments to buy limited amounts of wine or liquor per week from nearby off-premises retail licensees, such as liquor and wine stores. 

The agency called the new law, which went into effect on March 5, a “common-sense reform.” According to SLA reps, the legislation eases burdens on small businesses by giving local venues more purchasing flexibility during emergencies, while also supporting neighborhood retailers across the state.

Bars and similar establishments are now permitted to purchase 6 bottles per week from a local liquor store. (Per the law, a 12-pack of canned ready-to-drink cocktails counts as one bottle.)

Previously, these venues were not allowed to immediately replenish those bottles unless they arranged a delivery of the out-of-stock products from their wholesaler, leading to lost sales.

State officials said the law is a move to modernize the Empire State’s alcoholic beverage control laws while supporting the hospitality industry. 

“New York’s restaurant, tavern, and bar operators are our agency’s largest constituency,” SLA chair Lily Fan said. “Collectively, they are the state’s largest number of small businesses and is the State’s largest employer. Their success is the state’s abundance.”

The law notes that off-premises retail licensees are also limited to selling up to six bottles per week to bars and restaurants. Both on-premises and off-premises licensees must keep records of each transaction and make them available for inspection by the SLA.

Melissa Fleischut, president and CEO of the NYS Restaurant Association, previously served on a commission to study reform of the Alcoholic Beverage Control Law. She stressed the importance of consistent examination of laws to support the hospitality industry. 

“The commission made numerous recommendations for ways to update these laws, and during the past few years, the people here today have worked hard to turn those recommendations into policy, with retail to retail being the most recent example,” she said. “It’s so important to continuously examine and update these laws to eliminate red tape for today’s hospitality industry.”

Will New York supermarkets be allowed to sell wine?
The new law was placed on the books as some state lawmakers reintroduced this year legislation that would allow supermarkets in New York to sell wine. The move is controversial and has pitted small business owners against retail giants throughout the city and state, as it would amend the law to establish grocery store wine licenses. 

Many wine and liquor stores, as well as union groups, have spoken out against the grocery store legislation.

“This legislation will destroy the union workforce, local wine and liquor store merchants and in-state wineries responsible for maintaining every aspect of wine production and sale in New York,” Michael Correra, executive director of Metro Package Store Association, said. “The ones to benefit from this will be the billionaire supermarket chain owners, while working-class New Yorkers will be steamrolled.”

Others feel differently, with supporters suggesting that selling wine in grocery stores offers benefits, including meeting consumer demand and a strong fiscal impact that would generate new sales.

By Steve Barnes,
Staff Writer
March 17, 2026

ALBANY — On Friday, the day before the city’s St. Patrick’s Day parade would bring thousands of celebrants downtown to McGeary’s Pub and other bars and restaurants, McGeary’s owner Tess Collins discovered a liquor distributor’s delivery did not include the Jack Daniel’s whiskey she had ordered.

A new state law that took effect just a week prior saved Collins from the choice of disappointing customers by not having a preferred spirit or potentially running afoul of the State Liquor Authority if she, like any member of the public, went to a liquor store to buy more. That’s because, prior to March 5, purchasing wine or spirits from liquor stores was illegal for bars and restaurants; it had to come from a distributor.

The new law allowing it, called Retail to Retail, was passed last year, signed by Gov. Kathy Hochul in early December and took effect three months later. Advocates of reforming the state’s alcohol laws touted it as a success story at a news conference at McGeary’s on Monday, believing that while the law is a small and incremental change, it is symbolic of cooperation across multiple stakeholders that weren’t previously always so aligned. The gathering included bar and restaurant owners, state legislators, New York State Restaurant Association leadership, lobbyists for bars and liquor stores and multiple representatives of the State Liquor Authority, which in the past was feared by restaurateurs and seen as frustrating by legislators.

“The previous (SLA) administration was anti-small business, anti-consumer, and, quite frankly, the authority was a complete train wreck,” said state Sen. James Skoufis, a Hudson Valley Democrat who has long worked for reforming alcohol legislation that in some cases dates back to the 1933 repeal of Prohibition.

In contrast, referring to SLA Chair Lily Fan, who was in attendance on Monday, “There is no person who is better suited, who has been a better fit, to turn around the SLA, and who has been a full, complete, transparent partner to all of us here.” Skoufis said. He continued, “She’s been an incredible chair of the SLA, and she is a huge reason why we’ve been able to accomplish so much over the last few years.”

When initially discussed, Retail to Retail was described as allowing restaurants and bars only a minimal purchase from a retail liquor store, six bottles per week, but the SLA’s interpretation of it for enforcement purposes allows flexibility, Fan said. For instance, any container with a single stock number, which could be a single bottle or a multipack of canned cocktails, will be considered one bottle, and the limit will be calculated over a year, allowing for an annual cumulative total of 312 units, not merely six per week, Fan said.

Benefits to the public go beyond a restaurant being able to replace what’s missing from a distributor’s order or pick up a few special bottles to meet a last-minute customer request, according to Collins and her downtown neighbor Dominick Purnomo, owner of Yono’s and dp: An American Brasserie. Retail to Retail sales will usually mean bars and restaurants will spend less than they would pay a distributor for the same amount, Collins and Purnomo said, savings that could be passed along to customers.

In a hypothetical example given by Purnomo, bringing in six bottles of wine from a distributor results in multiple fees — for splitting a case, for being below an order minimum, a delivery charge and a fuel surcharge — would effectively double the cost of going to a liquor store himself for the six bottles.

Surcharges by wholesalers are the target of one of the approximately 20 alcohol-reform measures included in the governor’s executive budget and the Senate’s proposed budget. How many will make it into the final budget, due by April 1, or bills passed individually before the Legislature adjourns in June, remains unclear. Skoufis and others said they remain optimistic and see fee regulation as being important to pass.

“Wholesaler fees have become a significant burden on small restaurants and taverns,” said Scott Wexler, executive director of the Empire State Restaurant & Tavern Association and a 40-year veteran of alcohol-related legislative battles.

He cited one distributor that charges a fee for picking up orders from its warehouse. Purnomo said another parks its truck to deliver to his restaurants and leaves it in the same spot to deliver to five other customers within a block, but all are charged a delivery fee.

“All the fees that are being thrown at us — we’re getting slaughtered,” said Collins.

The proposal in Hochul’s budget would require the SLA to approve such fees.

But, Skoufis noted, the distributors who profit from them are enormous in size and influence. The nation’s largest, the privately held Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits, operates in 47 U.S. states, carries more than 7,000 brands, many exclusively, and has annual revenue of $26 billion, according to Forbes, with which they pay advocates.

“Typically, stakeholders have one lobbyist,” Skoufis said. Distributors, in contrast, “They’ve got like 10 lobbyists each … (from) multiple firms. There’s no question that those stakeholders are quite powerful.”

Another measure being put forth would remove what advocates say is an outdated requirement for distributors to post their prices for wine and spirits, but not beer, each month and keep them the same for 30 days. Fan said one of the results is that New York ranks first nationally for beer affordability but near the bottom for wine and liquor.

 ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10) — It used to be that if your favorite bar or restaurant ran out of your favorite wine or liquor, you were out of luck. But as of March 5, the new retail-to-retail law allows establishments to buy drinks at a nearby liquor store.

“This is a huge opportunity for us to purchase things, frankly, at a lower cost that we would normally be able to buy,” said Dominick Purnomo, representing his restaurant group.

Bars and restaurants can now make up to six purchases of wine or liquor each week. For example, that could be six cases or six bottles.

“I can only get liquor from like two companies and their delivery is not great,” described Tess Collins, the owner of McGeary’s Irish Pub. “So if I run out of something on Friday, I won’t have it all weekend.”

Business owners and elected officials said this is one of many steps to modernize the alcoholic beverage control law. What was once described as a nonexistent partnership with the State Liquor Authority is now working to help small businesses according to Senator James Skoufis.

“We have more work to do. I’m thrilled the governor has I think it’s 21 ABC reforms that she has advanced in the executive budget proposal,” added the senator.

Some of the reforms include having to approve distributor fees, defining more specific licenses and eliminating set monthly prices. The Empire State Restaurant and Tavern Association explained 19 of those reforms have been approved by the Senate along with an additional introduced by Senator Skoufis. Just one was accepted by the Assembly. They will deliberate in the coming weeks as part of the state budget.

Several of the Governor’s proposals go directly to the issue of affordability – to licensees and the consumer:

• Banning Wholesaler Fees - Wholesaler fees for split cases and deliveries have been a burden on small restaurants and taverns for years since wholesalers have become the exclusive agent for most major brands. This proposal would require SLA approval of any such fees.

• Beer Wholesale Licenses - The reissuance of Class C beer wholesale licenses with retail privileges will make products more available, especially when an on-premises operator has an unexpected run on a product and may have to wait weeks for their next delivery. And consumers should see reduced prices as more outlets compete for their business.

• Channel Pricing – The allowance for different prices for the different channels in the alcohol industry will allow for wholesalers to offer prices that are appropriate for each channel. The principal use of this in other jurisdictions is to offer lower prices to on-premises retailers to entice customers into trying new products.

Some of the initiatives will help businesses operationally. The repeal of interior access requirements, the creation of the dance and dine license, and the early morning sports bar permit proposals individually and collectively improve the business environment for our members. Making it easier to be licensed and operate makes sense and will result in more successful businesses paying dividends to the operators and the state.

In addition, Senator Skoufis is seeking to advance legislation as part of the budget that would eliminate the 30-day post and hold provisions of the ABC law. Under this law wholesalers “post” their prices at the beginning of the month and have to “hold” those prices for the entire month – they can’t change the price up or down. The Senator believes this law artificially inflates the price of wine & liquor by 3 to 5 percent. The bill mandates wholesalers must post the prices on their ordering platform, maintaining price transparency. And the prohibition on discriminating amongst licensees is also retained, so current pricing practices requiring all licensees to be treated similarly are expected to be unchanged if this proposal advances.

The provisions of the law are not complicated so the State Liquor Authority doesn’t need to issue regulations or guidance to implement this new law. And the Tax Department already has provisions for sales tax vendors to make purchases from retailers for resale, so there’s no need for them to take any action in order for this new law to go into effect.

According to the law:

• You can purchase up to 6 bottles each week.

• The 6-bottle limit applies to the total of wine & liquor, not 6 bottles of each.

• The 6-bottle limit is the aggregate you can purchase from all liquor stores each week, not 6 bottles from each store.

• The law does not limit the size of the bottles - if the liquor store sells them, the on-premises retailer can buy them.

• A week is a 7-day period. Other parts of state law define the week to be Sunday – Saturday.

• Both seller and buyer need to maintain a record of the sale for inspection by the State Liquor Authority or the Tax Department.

We’re aware that some retailers have recently been notified of less frequent delivery schedules. We’re monitoring these developments to determine if we need to change the law to permit you to purchase more than six bottles each week. Hopefully the new law will provide some relief for you while we take additional steps to make your business more affordable to run and easier to manage.

The Governor is proposing limiting fees that wholesalers can charge retailers, eliminating restrictions on dancing in licensed premises and modernizing licensing amongst the initiatives she’ll advance. Our agenda for modernizing the ABC Law includes limiting fees for split case and delivery charges (which appears to be part of the budget proposal), allowing the sale of spirits-based ready-to-drink products to-go (like beer), and ending the monopoly liquor wholesalers have over the products they sell by prohibiting liquor suppliers from establishing exclusive arrangements with wholesalers.

Eliminating the monopoly liquor wholesalers maintain over the products they sell may seem like a reach, but it’s the root of so many problems retailers face so it’s a fight we need to take on. The recent announcement by Southern Glazer Wine & Spirits that they were switching their upstate accounts from deliveries every week to deliveries every two weeks “as part of their ongoing efforts to improve your delivery experience” is just the latest example of SGWS flexing their market power to benefit their bottom line without regard for the impact on their customers – something much easier to do when you have the dominant market position Southern has amassed.

Another proposal the Governor included in her State of the State Message is to end tax on tips. Citing the hard work of bartenders, servers, and delivery workers, the Governor committed to making sure these workers can hold on to more of what they earn by advancing legislation eliminating state income tax on up to $25,000 of tipped income, consistent with the federal tax guidance.

This is an important statement by Governor Hochul. This one measure reinforces the importance of tips, and at the same time chooses to tackle the affordability issue for these workers by reducing workers’ tax burden rather than increasing your labor costs by eliminating the tip credit. We can expect this battle to become intense during the upcoming state budget negotiations over the next few months.

That is why I am concerned by reports that Gov. Kathy Hochul’s upcoming budget may include a Republican-led “No Tax on Tips” proposal. Instead of warmed-over Trump-lite tax cuts, we should be beefing up working-class New Yorkers’ paychecks by allowing tipped workers to receive a full minimum wage. More info...

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The poster includes the minimum wage, tip credit, and cash minimum wage each for category of employee and for each region of the state.

At this point we have two wage scales - downstate (New York City, Long Island, and Westchester) and the rest of the state:

Downstate

The minimum wage will be $17.00 per hour as of January 1, 2026.

The cash wage for foodservice workers will be $11.35 per hour as of January 1, 2026

Rest of State

The minimum wage will be $16.00 per hour as of January 1, 2026.

The cash wage for foodservice workers will be $10.70 per hour as of January 1, 2026

Consult the minimum wage poster for overtime wages for food service workers and for wages for service workers, if applicable.

Restaurants, bars, and taverns can breathe a sigh of relief now that they'll be allowed to purchase six bottles of liquor or wine a week from a liquor store under a new law that will take effect on March 5, 2026. No longer will you risk a liquor law violation, typically a fine of thousands of dollars, if go down to the liquor store to replenish your stock.

The law doesn’t limit these purchases to the emergency replenishment of inventory. This may be the most common use of the new law since it’s already a regular practice, but you can use this law to manage the purchase of products you buy on a limited basis or for a special occasion. This can not only simplify your buying process – it’s likely to reduce your costs by avoiding paying exorbitant fees to liquor wholesalers for small orders.

While the law allows on-premises licensees to purchase wine and liquor from someone other than a licensed wholesaler, there are restrictions. The law limits your purchases to a total of six bottles each week – it does not stipulate the size of the bottles (something the SLA may address). And the law requires both the purchaser and seller to retain a purchase receipt showing the name of the retailer, the date of purchase, a description of the alcohol beverages purchased, and the price paid for the alcohol beverages. Both the retail licensee for on-premises consumption and the retail licensee for off-premises consumption will need to make the receipt available for inspection by the State Liquor Authority and its duly authorized agents and employees.

This is another sensible change to the state's alcoholic beverage control law that Chairmen Stirpe and Skoufis, SLA Chair Fan, and Governor Hochul have partnered to advance to the benefits of our members and their customers in just the past few years. This change is historic – the first time since the repeal of Prohibition retailers will be able to purchase from someone other than a wholesaler – but there is more work to be done to give retailers relief from the imbalance in the marketplace.

We’ll be in touch with the State Liquor Authority about implementing the new law, including the details of the required recordkeeping, so you will be ready to utilize the new privilege when it becomes available in March. We’ll let you know everything you need to know as soon as we know it. And stay tuned for our plans for 2026 – we know what the problem is and we aim to fix it.