Hoover alters hours for alcohol sales on Sundays

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The Hoover City Council amended the city’s ordinance regarding alcoholic beverage sales to allow sales as early as 10 a.m. on Sundays.

Previously, sales or dispensing of alcoholic beverages could not occur until 11 a.m. on Sundays in private clubs and noon at places such as restaurants, hotels and meeting and event centers.

Councilman John Lyda, who led the effort to expand hours of alcoholic beverage sales, said the change was requested by owners of hotels and restaurants and convention hosts who have customers who want alcoholic beverages earlier in the morning.

This allows such businesses in Hoover to be competitive with businesses in other cities that offer earlier alcoholic beverage sales and gives the ones in Hoover an advantage over businesses in cities that don’t, Lyda said.

“I’m excited for our business community,” he said. “I often say that the best ideas come from your constituents and business owners, and this was one of those.”

Before the council could pass the ordinance, it had to get permission from the Legislature, and the Legislature approved such a bill in May.

Six members of the Hoover City Council voted in favor of the change. Councilman John Greene abstained from the vote, saying he had witnessed the negative impact that alcohol has had on many people’s lives.

Now, alcoholic beverages sales in businesses are prohibited only from 2 a.m. to 10 a.m. on Sundays and 2 a.m. to 4 a.m. on other days. Consumption of alcohol in such businesses is restricted only from 2 a.m. to 10 a.m. on Sundays and 2 a.m. to 8 a.m. on other days.

In private clubs in Hoover, the dispensing of alcoholic beverages to members is allowed only from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Sundays. From Monday through Saturday, alcohol can be dispensed legally between 11 a.m. and 2 a.m. the following morning. However, no private club can have more than 50 percent of its gross sales from alcoholic beverage sales on Sundays.