RALEIGH, N.C. — Governor Roy Cooper is extending the limited hours on the sale of alcoholic drinks in North Carolina in an effort to slow the spread of the coronavirus.
Executive Order 162 will extend the 11 p.m. alcohol curfew through the month of September. The order requires restaurants to end the sale of alcoholic beverages at 11 p.m.
“North Carolina has made good progress stabilizing our COVID-19 numbers, and this order will help us continue it,” said Governor Cooper.
“Now is the time to continue staying cautious and vigilant as we work to beat this pandemic.”
The order will remain in effect through October 2, 2020.
Seth Kavorkian, owner of SouthEnd Brewing in Downtown Greensboro, said his business started closing at 11 before the governor's initial order went into effect.
"About a week before the governor made that announcement to stop alcohol sales at 11, SouthEnd had already decided we would be closing at 11," Kavorkian said.
He said he thinks keeping that in place is a good idea.
"Particularly on the weekends, later at night, after people had a few drinks, the social distancing becomes less important to some people and we were trying our best to manage that," he said.
Kavorkian is still hoping the governor eases up on other restrictions for restaurants, like capacity limits.
Kavorkian said the space his brewpub has both inside and outside, they'd be able to keep people safe while seating more.
"We could set in excess of fifty percent capacity while maintaining six feet of distance between the tables," he said.