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Starbucks coffee shops may have just won new state liquor licenses, but the Utah Senate took steps Monday to ensure that they cannot sell glasses of wine and beer at drive-up windows.
Senators voted 20-0 to pass SB250 and send it to the House.
Its sponsor, Sen. Jerry Stevenson, R-Layton, said that new liquor licenses for Starbucks raised questions.
"When we think of Starbucks, we think sometimes of a restaurant with the ability to sell coffee through a drive-in window. We don't want people selling alcohol through a drive-in window," he said, adding he wants to help ensure people don't drink and drive.
Under his bill, "You can't sell a glass of wine through a drive in window, you can't sell a glass of beer through a drive-in window and you can't sell a prepared drink."
It still allows cities to continue to allow selling 3.2 percent beer in cans or sealed packages through drive-up service, as occurs in some places. Open containers of alcohol in a car are illegal in Utah.
Stevenson said SB250 and another bill the Senate passed on Monday, SB217, will free up 40 more limited-service restaurant liquor licenses, and 10 for full-service restaurants — which have been in short supply.
SB217 would allow hotels to obtain one master liquor license for all their operations under one roof, instead of separate permits for each of their restaurants, bars, banquet facilities and room service.
That could send back some restaurant licenses for redistribution, and SB217 exchanges them in current quota formulas for some unused tavern licenses.