By Amanda Hoover, news correspondent
For those looking to make their own bloody marys and mimosas on Sunday mornings, acquiring key ingredients just got easier.
On Oct. 26, a statewide liquor law allowing stores to begin selling alcohol at 10 a.m. rather than noon went into effect. The law, approved by Gov. Deval Patrick this July, overturns one of the older “blue laws” in Mass. – regulations inspired by religious standards that restrict retail hours on Sundays. For years, neighbor states New Hampshire and Rhode Island have allowed morning sales, leading Mass. residents along the state’s borders to drive a few extra miles for those earlier options and take money away from the commonwealth’s economy.
“In Rhode Island, they’re allowed to start selling alcohol on Sunday morning at 10,” Elizabeth Poirier, a state representative for the 14th District, said. “We have a great number of events that take place [in the southeast area], in particular the Patriots game. Many of the residents of the southeastern area and beyond go to Rhode Island to buy their alcohol. While they’re there, they get gas for their cars. They buy food. We thought it was very detrimental to our businesses in our area.”
For Boston-based stores that don’t face as much competition with those in bordering states, the announcement may not carry the same weight.
“People are going to try to get liquor regardless. If it’s open earlier, maybe people will consume earlier,” Chris Souza, a sophomore criminal justice major, said. “If it’s for a football game or barbeque, I think it does well for businesses.”
Originally, blue laws such as these existed to provide time for relaxation or church attendance on Sundays. From the 1700s until 2003, alcohol sales on Sundays were completely prohibited in Mass. Today, fewer feel the need to legally mandate that time for businesses and find the law out-of-date. Despite the long precedent set by the law, the new bill received little opposition as it made its way through the House and Senate before landing on Patrick’s desk.
“It was fairly well agreed upon. People could see the logic of proposing it and thinking that it would help out Massachusetts liquor store owners to be competitive with those around us,” Poirier said.
However, liquor stores won’t be opening in time to grab beers before this weekend’s Patriots game.
“If the local establishment now wants to open at 10 a.m., they have to have their license changed. The hours have to be legally amended,” Jon Carlisle, the communications director for the Alcoholic Beverage Control Commission, the government body that enforces liquor laws throughout the state, said.
Storeowners will have to weigh the pros and cons of opening for those extra two hours on Sunday mornings and decide whether or not to amend their license, according to Carlisle.
So far, the Boston Licensing Board has approved a change in hours on the licenses of 27 local liquor stores, Mayor Martin J. Walsh’s press secretary Kate Norton said in an email to The News.
Still, some believe that everyone should slow down and take a break on Sundays. For Mission Hill Liquors on Tremont Street, opening doors earlier seems like more trouble than it’s worth.
“It’s too early. I’ve got to work eight hours today already,” John Nagle, one of the store’s managers who worked the noon to 8 p.m. shift on Sunday, said. “I’ve got to sleep sometime.”
Nagle said that the store considered applying to amend its hours but saw no significant benefits. Open for sales from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. Monday through Saturday, managers at Mission Hill Liquors want to keep Sunday as a time for relaxation by trimming their hours. As for losing potential business, Nagle doubts college students, who make up a good number of his customers, would care about purchasing alcohol that early.
Still, many see it as a positive option for liquor stores and their customers.
Stephen Hollisian, a senior criminal justice major, said the law could help football fans grab beers without missing kickoff on Sundays.
“That would be a pretty cool thing,” Hollisian said. “[Prior to the law change], you [had] to get it the day before. People can go buy a six pack, go back to their room and watch the game.”
Photo by Maria Amasanti
