HB 975

Alcoholic beverage control; food-to-beverage ratio; report. Requires a mixed beverage restaurant, caterer's, or limited caterer's licensee with monthly food sales of at least $4,000 and a kitchen equipped with a ventilation hood system or device to have a food-to-beverage ratio that meets or exceeds 30 percent and any other such licensees to have a food-to-beverage ratio that meets or exceeds 45 percent. The bill also requires that restaurants have at least as many seats at tables as at counters. The bill requires the Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control Authority to collect data regarding the compliance of mixed beverage licensees with the provisions of the bill and the impact of the change to the food-to-beverage ratio on the gross amount of food consumed on a licensee's premises. The bill requires the Authority to report such data to the Chairs of the House Committee on General Laws and the Senate Committee on Rehabilitation and Social Services by November 1, 2027.