Business & Tech

Blame it on the Alcohol: Booze Draws Most Votes in Dunwoody

Alcohol question has highest number of votes of all ballot questions in Dunwoody

On the first Sunday in December, you can head to your local liquor store and pick up a six-pack for the game.

Dunwoody voters made sure of that Tuesday.

The city’s Sunday Alcohol sales question was overwhelmingly approved, with nearly 80 percent of voters saying yes to the measure.

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Alcohol drew the most voters of any issue on the ballot.

The turnout for Sunday Alcohol sales even eclipsed the parks bonds and ESPLOST votes, with 9,301 Dunwoody citizens voting on the Sunday sales measure, 9,272 voting on the DeKalb County ESPLOST and 9,246 voting on the parks improvements bond.

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The result wasn’t a big surprise.

“We kind of expected it to go through,” said Pratik Patel, owner and manager of the . “All the customers wanted it and our customers keep us in business. If it makes them happy, let’s do it.”

Patel said the store will open its doors on Sundays as soon as it is possible.

According to City Attorney Brian Anderson, the law should go into effect on Dec. 1.

The city council has to decide whether or not the city will have a fee for businesses that do sell liquor on Sundays. Currently, there is an $1,100 yearly fee for bars and restaurants that serve on Sundays and city staff is recommending the same fee for package alcohol sales, Anderson said.

Several voters Tuesday said the Sunday sales question was a big reason for heading to the polls.

For Jason Ouimette, the alcohol sales vote and the parks bonds were both good reasons to vote.

Ouimette said he moved to Georgia from California several years ago and was shocked that Sunday alcohol sales were banned.

Doug Cunnington of Dunwoody, who voted at Peachtree Charter Middle School, said the Sunday alcohol sales question pushed he and his wife to the polls.

"We wanted to make sure some people went out to vote for it," he said.

Whether the new day of sales will be a big boon to revenues has yet to be seen.

“We haven’t done it yet, so we’ll see,” Patel said.


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