Downtown Alpharetta Restaurant Patrons Can Walk Out With Alcohol

Downtown Alpharetta restaurant patrons can now walk out of the businesses with a drink in hand without breaking any law.

An initiative backed by the Downtown Alpharetta Trade Association to allow patrons of restaurants in a downtown district to take a single drink with them as they go walking and shopping within the district.

The beer, wine or liquor must be in a plastic cup provided by the restaurant that holds no more than 16 ounces. Cans, bottles and glasses are prohibited. Each person is limited to a single cup. And it has to come from one of the restaurants within the district. So you can't show up downtown with a cooler full of beer and tailgate at the Farmers Market on Saturdays. All other city laws are still in effect, including prohibitions on DUI and public intoxication.

Councilman Doug DeRito said this is "just one more step for us working with DATA and folks in the area, businesses to help I guess serve as a catalyst to enhance business operations and attract visitors to the downtown area."

Councilman Jim Paine agreed the measure will help downtown development. Just look a little bit farther south at what Roswell is doing with their Alive After 5 events, he said. This amendment to the city's alcohol ordinance will help create opportunities for Alpharetta to catch up with what Roswell has done. The city's downtown development project can help also, if it's approved by voters.

The downtown district's boundaries are:

North–Church Street

West–Canton/Roswell Street

South– Marietta Street extended east to Haynes Bridge Road

East–Haynes Bridge to its intersection with Academy Street, then westward along Academy to its intersection with Main Street, then north to Church Street.

and on South Main Street, on Church Street, La Casa Italian Grill on Old Roswell Street and at Roswell and Marietta streets are within that area. Other restaurants already opened or that will open in the future within this downtown area could do this if they get a pouring license approved.