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Minneapolis Business Owners React To Abolition Of Prohibition-Era Liquor Law

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- It's dinner time at Tilia in south Minneapolis.

You can grab a glass of wine or beer, but there's no liquor on the menu -- for now.

"Everybody should have the same opportunity," owner of Tilia Steven Brown said.

Brown says now that a prohibition-era restriction of where liquor can be served will be lifted. He'll apply for a liquor license in the new year.

With the old rule, restaurants outside the "7-acre rule" had to lobby to serve hard alcohol, a process that could cost tens of thousands of dollars.

"It was a 72 plus percent in favor vote, so that feels really great," Brown said. "More like a mandate than a squeaky win."

The change comes after Minneapolis voters repealed the 70-30 food to alcohol ratio in 2014. In 2017, Minnesota started selling alcohol on Sundays.

"It's really an advancement of our community and our abilities to trust places that we love to frequent in our neighborhoods," said Charlie Broder, owner of Broder's restaurants.

Broder says while he will apply for a liquor license at Terzo, it doesn't mean every restaurant that currently serves beer and wine only, will.

"As with everything in restaurants, everything is expensive. It's hard to build a cocktail program especially to reinvent your restaurant to accommodate cocktails," Broder said.

But it gives restaurants the option and it levels the playing field.

Customers will also have more options when they're choosing a spot in this hot Minneapolis neighborhood.

"As opposed to walking across the street that has that, we'll have it available for them," said Brown.

The language regarding the 7-acre rule will be removed from the city charter next month, but what will not change are the standards that restaurants have to adhere to to serve hard alcohol.

The still have to apply to get a liquor license to have craft cocktails.

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