Albany City Commission vote to prohibit alcohol delivery fails

(ALBANY, GA) – For Ankit Patel and his wife, they’re getting set to open their own liquor store in Albany this weekend.

And thanks to a vote at Tuesday evening’s City Commission meeting, their business can do some early expansion by delivering alcohol to homes.

Patel tells us, “That’s great timing if you think about it. We are actually new, and it’ll be technically from the beginning that we’re doing this.”

Albany City Commissioners met Tuesday evening to vote on whether or not to prohibit home alcohol delivery in the city from restaurants and liquor stores.

Though some commissioners, and even those with stores like Patel have some concerns.

“I’m concerned, mainly because a lot of young people who work are only 21 years old, would deliver to a house, and it could be a party happening, and that could be a nightmare for public safety officers,” says Ward 1 Commissioner, Jon Howard.

“There’s a risk of the delivery drivers getting robbed. We always heard about stuff like this happening in the city,” says Patel.

While city officials will be keeping an eye on the success of home alcohol delivery, those selling liquor now have a chance to recoup any money lost in the COVID-19 pandemic.

Howard tells us, “It gives some leeway to individuals that own restaurants, stores and liquor stores in that they can now have individuals to make the home deliveries.”

“With the pandemic, people don’t want to get out. You don’t want to be in line, trying to get sick. But this is great that they can get it at home, delivered,” says Patel.

The legislation for home alcohol delivery passed at the state level this past August.