Picture this. Leaving a restaurant or bar on Main Street and sippin’ on an alcoholic beverage you took to-go. That is currently illegal in our city, but have you ever noticed that you can walk around places like New Orleans or the historic district of Savannah with a beverage in hand?
Open container laws vary from state to state, and with special ordinances, some cities allow patrons to hop from one location to another and explore all that an area has to offer with an alcoholic drink.
This made us wonder, what if? What would it look like if the City of Greenville had a similar ordinance?
Here is what other cities are doing:
📍Las Vegas allows walking around the Strip with boozy beverages.
📍Our sister city of Chattanooga has allowed for open containers since 2017 on Station Street, which coincidentally happens to be in the prime nightlife area. All drinks must be in a clearly marked plastic container + once someone leaves the area, the rule no longer applies.
📍Virginia also has a law that allows patrons to leave a restaurant carrying an alcoholic beverage, and walk with it into another establishment (just not another restaurant) during licensed events and in designated areas.
What does the law actually say about open containers in Greenville?
Having an alcoholic beverage on public property is prohibited, except “...to the extent authorized by permits for outdoor cafes issued under section 8-257, for special events and block parties under section 36-136, and for other public facilities and buildings when a permit is issued under subsection (b)(5) of this section.”
So, what do you think? If we could have an open container avenue in Greenville, where would it be?
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