Easley considers allowing restaurants to serve beer and wine on sidewalks

Residents and business owners got the chance to sound off Monday night about a proposed ordinance that would allow restaurants to serve beer and wine on city sidewalks and outdoor plazas in Easley. 

City Administrator Fox Simons said the citywide ordinance would only be for restaurants and said people would have to be seated. The measure wouldn’t allow people to walk around downtown with beer and wine, Simons said, and wouldn’t allow Sunday alcohol sales.

He said the outdoor café ordinance also doesn’t include festivals.

In the draft ordinance, a permit would be good for one year, and the fee to use the public space as an outdoor café would be $150 for one year for up to 499 square feet and $250 for one year for 500 square feet and more.

David Wingard, owner of Wingard Jewelers and a restaurant expected to open downtown in February, asked if there was a possibility that the ordinance could keep other businesses from coming downtown.

Wingard said he thinks there should be an ordinance but said in the current economic times a $150 fee and extra costs for insurance could add up for small businesses.

“I’m all in favor of everybody being out front, making it more appealing for Easley,” he said, adding that is for seated areas and not walking around with beer and wine.

Councilman Dave Watson said the fee is still under discussion.

This was the second public meeting on the issue, and the ordinance could be on the agenda for council’s February or March meeting. The measure would require two readings.

Simons has said state law only allows beer and wine and prohibits liquor from being considered.

Scott Buckhiester, president of the Easley DBA and vice president of operations for DunBurks Premier Events, has said the measure would affect some businesses now, but would really be about future expansion and commerce downtown.

“We want to make the downtown area of Easley a destination point for residents,” Buckhiester has said.

He has said an ordinance change like this could help do that, bringing in more restaurants and gathering places for people downtown, and has said other downtown areas throughout the Upstate already have the allowance in place.