Sunday alcohol sales get under way

Starting today, the alcoholic beverages section of the menu will no longer be off limits on Sunday at some Florence restaurants.

It’s the first day of Sunday alcohol sales for those restaurants that have obtained permits from the S.C. Department of Revenue. Voters passed a referendum nearly two weeks ago to allow such sales.

Several Florence restaurant owners jumped at the chance to obtain a permit as soon as possible.

Indigo Joe’s was one Florence establishment that got its permit Thursday. Indigo Joe’s co-owner Tim Norwood said Sunday alcohol sales will be an economic boon for the city.

“It’s a new day for Florence,” Norwood said. “It certainly levels the playing field for us with a lot of our sister cities in South Carolina.”

The referendum applies to sales of alcoholic drinks for on-premises consumption, not packaged alcohol sales, within Florence’s city limits.

The restaurant owners said they visited the S.C. Department of Revenue office in Florence to complete paperwork and walked out with a permit for Sunday alcohol sales.

Ten similar referenda were held statewide during this year’s general election.

Since then, the S.C. Department of Revenue has been “inundated” with Sunday alcohol permit applications from across the state and couldn’t give an exact number of Florence businesses seeking the permits, department spokeswoman Adrienne Fairwell said last week.

Dale Barth owns Redbone Alley, which will serve its first alcoholic beverage Sunday after 25 years in business.

He said it was “unfortunate” that Sunday customers who’d tried to order cocktails had been unable to buy one in the past.

“So now we’ll be glad to serve our customers what they’re asking for,” he said.

Apple Annie’s co-owner Robbie Winstead said he got his permit Thursday afternoon.

“I feel good about it, giving people the chance to make their own decisions,” he said.

The bar and restaurant, previously closed on Sundays, is determining what its Sunday hours of operation will be, Winstead said.

In downtown Florence, the City Grill’s owners are in the process of getting a permit for Sunday alcohol sales, although it’s unclear whether the restaurant would have the permit in time for today, manager Danielle White said Friday.

The Hospitality Association of South Carolina said this summer that allowing restaurants to sell alcohol on Sundays would increase sales by $650,000 a month.

The group expects about 30 of the city’s 49 eligible license holders will apply for Sunday permits.

Each business’ $3,100 annual license fee to sell alcohol on Sundays would be paid to the state, but all the money would return to the city.

Sunday alcohol sales should offer Florence growth opportunities, Norwood said, because restaurants outside municipal boundaries will want to annex into the city.

Norwood, also chairman of the Florence Hospitality Association, said in a previous interview that 42 private clubs in Florence County already sell alcohol on Sundays.