To Whom it Will Concern:

The Virginia Restaurant Lodging and Travel Association (VRLTA) was founded to provide a single unified voice for Virginia’s restaurant, hotel-lodging, travel, and hospitality supplier industries. Our mission is to advocate on behalf of the legislative priorities and interests of Virginia's restaurants, hotels, attractions, and destinations to Virginia's General Assembly and regulatory agencies.

VRLTA supports the proposed change to 3 VAC-5-50-50 to allow ABC licensed restaurant employees 18 years of age or older to serve beer for on-premises consumption from behind a counter, but further asks that the ABC Authority modify the language to allow for the service of “wine or beer” under the same circumstances.

VRLTA also supports the proposed change to 3 VAC-5-50-60(A)(1) to allow ABC mixed beverage licensed restaurants to sell and serve Ready-to-Drink (RTD) cocktails to customers in a full container that is no greater than 16 ounces with an ABV no greater than 15%.

Finally, VRLTA supports the proposed change to 3 VAC-5-50-110(A) to clarify the definitions of “meal” and “preparation” in recognition of contemporary standards in the restaurant industry and the proposed changes to 3 VAC-5-50-100(C)(1)&(3) which changes also recognizes the evolution in food service within contemporary restaurants.

If you have any questions regarding this feedback, please do not hesitate to reach out to me at Tommy@vrlta.org.

Diageo North America (“Diageo”) supports the proposed change to 3 VAC-5-50-60(A)(1) to allow ABC mixed beverage licensed restaurants to sell and serve Ready-to-Drink (RTD) cocktails to customers in a full container that is no greater than 16 ounces with an ABV no greater than 15%.  In addition, Diageo supports the proposed change to 3 VAC-5-50-60(B)(4) to allow ABC mixed beverage licensed restaurants to serve limited flights of mixed beverages.