Plano is considering changing its 50-50 ratio for alcohol and food sales in restaurants and bars.
The City Council recently discussed rules about mixed-beverage permits. Some argue that changing it would be a pro-business move that would attract new dollars into the city.
A bar or restaurant with a mixed-beverage permit and a food-and-beverage certificate cannot make more than 50 percent of its money from alcohol sales. The other half must come from food sales, or the permit holder risks being in noncompliance.
But some businesses have trouble walking the line if they host a "happy hour" in which customers consume more alcohol than appetizers.
"It's happened to a couple of establishments," said Evan Rupp, manager of Plano's The Allen Wickers. "They're in different cities, used to different laws, and they come into Plano ... and Plano is fairly strict on their laws."
Rupp said The Allen Wickers does not have as much of a problem with the 50-50 ratio because the restaurant and pub focuses on food. He said the restaurant gets about 35 percent of its revenue from alcohol sales, well below the set limit.
The idea of changing the 50-50 ratio is in its infancy.
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Mayor Phil Dyer said he supports letting businesses take in more than the current 50 percent of revenue from alcohol, especially if it means keeping more local businesses in line with the rules.
In the meantime, the City Council has asked for more information from the Plano Planning Department.
