Good news for New York City Bottomless Brunch Enthusiasts, The State Liquor Authority won’t side with the Manhattan lawyer that is suing to stop boozy brunches. Here are all the details:
There’s only one cure for a heavy Saturday night or the pre-Monday blues, that’s a few mimosas/bloody marys at your favorite bottomless brunch joint. Sadly, a New York lawyer, Robert Halpern, wants them to become a thing of the past.
Back in September, we outlined the story of the Manhattan lawyer who is suing to stop the city’s bottomless brunches. Thankfully, the State Liquor Authority has announced that they won’t have his back on the issue.
What many New Yorkers don’t realize, among a litany of weird lesser known bar laws, is that it is actually illegal in NYC to set a fixed price for the sale of unlimited alcoholic drinks during a set period of time. Even though this law is rarely enforced, and there are many exceptions, this obscure alcohol law forms the basis for Robert Halpern’s crusade.
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Robert Halpern filed the lawsuit in late September. He argues the number of liquor licenses in the East Village has gotten out of hand. Basically, he’s the brunch version of the Grinch, stating that the brunches are causing “more noise, more crowds, and more uncivil behavior,” according to the complaint.
Thankfully, the State Liquor Authority isn’t on Halpern’s side on the matter, calling the lawsuit frivolous. A report by the NYPost states:
“Halpern’s motivation behind alleging these complaints is his self-interest against increased noise and crowds in his community. Halpern substitutes his own personal judgement for that of the Authority […] Halpern’s remedy, simply put, cannot be found within the walls of this Courthouse,”
For now, lovers of the Lower East Sides bottomless brunches can breathe a sigh of relief. It is unlikely that anything will come of the case, but “unlikely” doesn’t mean “certain”. Let’s keep our fingers crossed.
Featured image source [Flickr | Joe Shlabotnik]