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Missouri extends ability for restaurants, bars to sell mixed drinks to go

Missouri bars and restaurants will be allowed to continue to sell mixed drinks to go through at least the middle of June. 

The Missouri Department of Public Safety (DPS) waived restrictions in April on the sale of mixed drinks to go by restaurants and bars. A statewide stay at home order is no longer in place, but Missouri restaurants are still feeling the effect of having to close dining rooms or shutter completely during the coronavirus pandemic.

State law permits the sale of alcohol in its original packaging from companies with a valid liquor license, but it does not allow for the sale of mixed drinks for patrons to take away. 

The waiver was set to expire on May 15 but an executive order by the governor has allowed it to be extended to June 15, DPS spokesman Mike O’Connell told The Missouri Times. 

DPS Director Sandy Karsten previously said the waived requirements would allow for the sale of alcohol in containers that are durable, leak-proof, sealable, and meet the minimum size requirements laid out in state statute

Requirements include: 

  • Customers must purchase a meal alongside the alcohol purchase
  • Alcohol must be placed in a one-time use, tamper-proof, and transparent bag that is properly sealed, or the container must be sealed with tamper-proof tape
  • Open container laws across Missouri remain in place

“This change is being done to assist restaurant owners as well as their employers during this time of unprecedented restrictions,” Karsten said. 

Almost every Missouri restaurant has laid off or furloughed employees since the coronavirus pandemic hit the state, according to the National Restaurant Association. 

The recent survey from the national organization, in tandem with the Missouri Restaurant Association, found 93 percent of restaurant operators furloughed or laid off workers. An additional 8 percent said they plan to lay off or furlough employees within the next month. 


EDITOR’S NOTE: For up-to-date information on coronavirus, check with the CDC and DHSS.