It won’t be like Bourbon Street, but it’s a start.
If you’ve never heard of a ‘social district’ then get ready to be blown away. According to a press release by the Charlotte Area Chamber of Commerce, liquor regulations are about to get a bit more lax on certain blocks. A ‘social district’ will be a “defined outdoor area in which a person may consume alcoholic beverages sold by a permittee.”
Social Districts will be clearly defined with special signs that dictate the areas, days, and hours in which drinks can be consumed. There will also be limited boundaries that the city or council will submit to the Commission that specifies through a drawn out map, which areas will be defined as social districts. Finally, drinks will need to be consumed inside a specific cup, 16oz max, which is specific to the districts.
The aim of this plan, signed earlier this month by Gov. Cooper, is to bring more foot traffic to less dense areas, which could inevitably help them recoup some of the losses since the pandemic started.