In an effort to aid tourism and boost business, Atlantic City Mayor Marty Small Sr. issued an executive order last week that allows for the public consumption of alcohol in specific areas across the city—including the Atlantic City Boardwalk—as long as the beverage being consumed has been purchased from a city business.
In addition to the famous hotspot, targeted destinations include Gardner's Basin—a non-residential area—and the Orange Loop, made up of local streets just off the Boardwalk. Folks caught drinking outside the designated areas will be met with regular penalties and fines.
According to NBC10, the executive order is set to expire in November or "when coronavirus-related occupancy limits are lifted, whichever date is later."
The open container issuance does come along with a few restrictions: local businesses looking to sell alcohol will have to limit customers to one 16-ounce drink per transaction. They'll also have to register to sell in designated zones, add the city and officials into their liability insurance, make it clear where each drink they serve has come from and post signs explaining the new rules to patrons.
Of course, the move seeks to counteract the effects of stay-at-home and closure orders that took over the country as a whole and have undoubtedly put a damper on the economy. The decision also follows a state-wide issuance released just a few weeks ago that allows for towns to serve alcohol in designated public areas fort he time being.
Atlantic City... here we come.
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