Bibb County voters will get to decide if they want to see the Sunday brunch law go into effect. Tuesday night, Bibb commissioners agreed to put the measure on the November ballot. If approved, this would allow restaurants to sell alcoholic drinks starting at 11 a.m. on Sundays instead of 12:30 p.m.
The Georgia Restaurant Association says those 90 minutes could mean restaurants earn an extra $25,000 a year in drink sales.
Clifford Wilson is a server at Barefoot Tavern downtown. He says the restaurant is usually busy, but on Sundays, they have one top seller.
"Average table check on Sunday runs $30- or $40-plus because of mimosa sales," Wilson said.
Wilson says people come in all the time to order mimosas and other alcoholic drinks before 12:30 p.m.
"Yeah, it's always an awkward conversation when you have to tell a customer that you can't," Wilson said.
Bibb County voters can now decide if they want to keep Sundays dry until that time or allow restaurants to start selling at 11 a.m.
"From a table set for 6, which we can break apart or add more to, we will have anywhere between 4
to 6 mimosas ordered," Wilson said.
Will Upchurch serves drinks at the bar, he says sales between 11 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. equals about 30 percent more money.
Upchurch says people will even order specialty mimosas as soon as they take a seat.
"The big seller is the bottomless mimosa and we typically go through several hundred on a Sunday afternoon," Upchurch said.
Wilson says no matter what drink people are ordering, it's a win-win for the servers and the customers.
"Our lunch crowd is going to come in a drink on Sundays regardless. Them getting here earlier equates to a bigger check," Wilson said.
Wilson says he thinks most of the customers would vote to see the Sunday brunch happen here in Macon.