NBA All-Star Weekend: Brookhaven Extends Alcohol Pouring Hours

BROOKHAVEN, GA — Bars and restaurants in the city of Brookhaven will be able to serve alcohol longer for the National Basketball Association's All-Star Weekend in March, per a Brookhaven City Council vote Tuesday.

The NBA chose Atlanta for its scaled back version of the annual All-Star Weekend, now a one-day only All-Star Game on March 7. But Brookhaven council members approved the pouring hours extension for the whole weekend — from March 4 through March 8 — in a 3-1 vote.

Council Member Linley Jones voted in opposition, citing Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms' warning for people not to come to Atlanta for the game and COVID-19 concerns as some of her reasons to vote against the measure.

"Mayor Bottoms cited an Emory University epidemiologist as her authority for saying, 'It's very unfortunate, but it's just a little too soon,'" Linley said. "I would love so much to support the [financial] health of our bars and restaurants and the economic recovery among them ... But this small extension of hours could make Brookhaven the epicenter for gatherings at just the wrong time."

The proposal to extend alcohol pouring hours came from the Brookhaven Chamber of Commerce and the Brookhaven Epicurean Society, which represents the city's bars and restaurants.

"[This extension] should have a very positive effect on the community and certainly on the economy. As everybody knows, restaurants and bars have been suffering in Brookhaven," Brookhaven Chamber President Alan Goodman said Tuesday. "We're doing what we can to help them and we feel that this would be a terrific addition to all the restaurants and bars."

Pouring hours will be permitted from 11 a.m. to 4 a.m. on March 4, 5 and 7. The day before the All-Star Game, March 6, will have pouring hours from 11 a.m. to 2:55 a.m.

Mayor Pro Tem Joe Gebbia said this is the same pouring hours extension as the ones the city implemented for Super Bowl 2019. He also said COVID-19 compliant guidelines will be continued and emphasized "very, very strongly."

"There's no willy-nilly on this as far as being lax. It's just a great opportunity. There are constraints that come with it and I'm looking forward to them continuing the strong work they've put into place up until this point," Gebbia said Tuesday.

Gebbia added that the Brookhaven Chamber of Commerce will continue to supply free COVID-19 kits that include gloves, face masks, thermometers and other personal protective equipment to the city's restaurants and bars, even those that are not chamber members.

Council Member Madeleine Simmons said the circumstances of the vote may have been different if bars and restaurants were not going to be open at all due to the pandemic.

"With them already being open and with the people already being there, you just really hope that they're in compliance with CDC guidelines to begin with and that they just continue that for the few hours longer," Simmons said.

Brookhaven Mayor John Ernst, who does not vote on council matters unless there is a need for a tiebreaker, said he was glad he didn't have to vote on the measure.

"This would be a really difficult decision for myself if I were to vote. I really feel for the restaurants and bars," Ernst said. "But we're also right at the finish line, and I'd hate to trip up right at the end. I have to admit that I'm glad I don't have to vote."