Fort Lauderdale To Allow Sunday Morning Alcohol Sales

FORT LAUDERDALE (CBS4)- Bars and restaurants across Fort Lauderdale will be able to serve alcohol on Sunday mornings, possibly beginning as early as this weekend.

The change comes after city commissioners agreed Tuesday to loosen longstanding restrictions on Sunday alcohol sales. The old prevents patrons from purchasing their favorite alcoholic drinks with their morning brunch.

Restaurants, bars and hotels are now allowed to serve alcohol as early as 7 a.m. as they do the rest of the week rather than wait until noon. However, liquor stores and grocery stores still are not allowed to sell alcohol until noon.

The noon restriction is a product of blue laws that historically restricted commerce on Sundays to protect it as a day of worship. But after restaurateurs and bar owners pressed the city to change the law. They said the law was outdated and no longer made sense in today's tourism-based economy.

The law will become official after Mayor Jack Seiler's signs off on it, which should occur by the end of the week.