SACRAMENTO – The Sacramento municipal council plans to create entertainment areas that would allow people to drink alcohol in open containers outside bars and restaurants.
“I think it would be great so that you don’t have to slam (your drink) and you can get out and enjoy it,” said Bonnie Nichols, who lives in Sacramento.
This is the last effort of the city to pour out in the nightlife of Sacramento.
“I imagine that it is a center of the city, which, I think, is really important culturally and demographically,” said Brandon Robinson, founder of Tipsy Putt in downtown Commons (Doco).
Robinson said it was a fight for companies to bounce back from the pandemic, but that Tipsy Putt slowly saw pedestrian traffic increase. He thinks that focusing on nightlife and creating a fun, fluid and safe environment where people can help.
“We were in Arizona and we were able to do more things like that,” said Stephanie Gustin. “It simply added to our pleasure, but it must be within the limits.”
The city thinks that these entertainment areas could benefit companies when special events occur nearby, allowing them to make alcohol sales.
“I know what I don’t want. I don’t want 24 hours a certain part of the city with New Orleans and Tuesday Gras,” said Mayor Kevin McCarty.
McCarty said that Sacramento looked at cities like San Francisco who succeeded with his open container entertainment areas, including near the Chase Center.
“Honestly, I wouldn’t think it would be really smart because you would have a lot of drunk people drunk in public,” Iyesia Osborne said, who lives in Sacramento.
Mayor McCarty told CBS13 that there would be areas and times contained that the police would increase staff.
“We are very, very attentive,” said McCarty. “We are going to ask our police service to help us develop this.”
There are not yet final places that would fall into these entertainment areas, but McCarty mentioned certain parts of K Street, R Street and Capitol Mall.
“You always want to bring more nightlife to the city center, but you have to go to sure,” Kris Errecart said, who lives in Sacramento.
The control of drinks from the Ministry of Alcohol (ABC) is on board with this change in open containers and requires special permits for companies participating in these areas.
Over the past two years, Governor Gavin Newsom has signed laws allowing local governments to create entertainment areas.
The Sacramento municipal council will discuss it Tuesday at its meeting.