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Cheers to SB148: Alcohol-to-Go Made Permanent in Florida

May 13, 2021

By: Tara Tedrow, Jackie Bozzuto & Ty Pryor

Want a margarita with your Mexican dinner to-go? Then you’re in luck. What started out as a COVID-era ease on businesses was signed into law today.

CS/SB 148, a bill that allows restaurants with liquor licenses to deliver cocktails along with their food orders, just received Governor DeSantis’ signature on April 13, 2021, after passing both the Florida House and Senate with nearly unanimous bipartisan support.

The new law, which amends multiple sections of the Florida Statutes, more specifically allows certain licensees (broadly, restaurant licensees as opposed to bars and nightclubs) to accompany food orders with alcoholic beverages prepared by the licensee. Distilled spirits sealed by the manufacturer are not authorized for delivery, however. The new law also confirms that these to-go drinks do not run afoul of the state’s open container laws, thus cutting off a point of friction at the pass.

Licensees that fall under the auspices of this new law have already been operating under similar guidelines thanks to an executive order from Governor DeSantis signed in the Spring of 2020. SB148 essentially codifies that executive order, allowing licensees who have come to rely on the practice for over a year now to breathe a sigh of relief.

Lowndes attorneys have years of experience helping clients navigate state liquor laws and licensing guidelines. Don’t hesitate to reach out to us if you have any questions or concerns in this area.

This article is informational only. You should consult an attorney before acting or failing to act. The law may change rapidly and no warranty is given. LOWNDES DISCLAIMS ALL IMPLIED WARRANTIES AND WITHOUT LIMITATION, ANY WARRANTY OF FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. ALL ARTICLES ARE PROVIDED AS IS AND WITH ALL FAULTS. Consult a Lowndes attorney if you wish to establish an attorney/client relationship.

Tara L. Tedrow — Shareholder & Chair, Cannabis & Controlled Substances Group

Tara Tedrow is a shareholder in the firm’s Land Use, Zoning & Environmental Group and serves as chair of the Cannabis & Controlled Substances Group. She brings years of experience handling an array of complex legal matters for multi-billion dollar valued companies and entrepreneurs alike.

With a significant portion of her practice devoted to land use and development, Tara regularly advises clients on entitling projects for commercial, residential, industrial, office and mixed uses. She works with local governments and regulatory agencies to address the needs of her clients related to environmental permitting and compliance, zoning, comprehensive plans, concurrency, site plan approval, variance and waiver requests, due diligence and property rights.

Often sought out for high-profile and high-stakes land development projects, Tara has delivered positive outcomes for clients ranging from large multi-national and U.S.-based companies to high-net worth individuals seeking land use entitlements. With over 15 years of competitive debate experience, she is uniquely suited to handle complex and controversial projects and public hearings that present a myriad of political and legal challenges.

Tara has provided developers and clients with legal counsel and representation in Section 70.51 mediations. Her experience in land use and environmental dispute resolutions offers a unique benefit to clients navigating the alternative dispute resolution process following denial of a development order, zoning approval and other land use matters around the state.

Well-known for providing legal and lobbying representation for a wide range of cannabis clients, Tara and her team work with physicians, lenders, real estate developers, landlords, ancillary service providers, banks, licensed adult use and medical marijuana companies, cultivators, processors, retailers and license applicants, helping them to navigate the ever-changing regulatory landscape of marijuana and hemp regulations. She also assists clients in the national hemp industry in obtaining licensing and approvals for processing, retailing, cultivation and other forms of secondary byproduct monetization. Her deep knowledge of regulatory laws and understanding of operations and logistics for cannabis companies, along with her ability to make connections and build partnerships, bring strategic value to her clients.

Tara is the only person in the state of Florida to be appointed by the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services to both the inaugural Industrial Hemp Advisory Council created under Senate Bill 1020 and to the state’s Hemp Advisory Committee, which she currently chairs. A prolific presenter and speaker at industry seminars and conferences, she has served as the keynote speaker on industry regulations at over 60 events in the past two years. In the fall of 2018, Tara became the first professor in the state of Florida to teach a law school course on marijuana law and policy at the University of Florida Levin College of Law, where she continues to teach today.

Prior to joining the firm, Tara worked as a legal extern for the University of Florida General Counsel and Office of the Vice President as well as for the Orlando Juvenile Public Defenders Office. For over a decade, she has also worked professionally as a private speech and debate coach and taught at multiple national debate institutes, including the National Debate Forum at Emerson University, the National Symposium for Debate at Grinnell College and Victory Briefs Institute at UCLA.

Tara is a contributing writer at the Orlando Sentinel and has spoken about various real estate topics on Fox News.

To view Tara's information specific to Land Use or Cannabis, click the corresponding links below.


Land Use	Cannabis

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Jacqueline Bozzuto — Shareholder & Co-Chair, Hospitality & Leisure Group

Jackie Bozzuto has extensive experience mapping out strategies for real estate development and finance for the hospitality industry and beyond. She has also assisted clients with acquiring portfolios out of bankruptcy estates, as well as multi-site and multi-state purchases and sales.

Goal-oriented, organized, gifted relationship-builder and connector of people. These skills, along with decades of experience in the restaurant industry, have earned Jackie the reputation of “trusted advisor” to clients.

Born and raised around her family’s commercial real estate, investment and management business in St. Thomas, Virgin Islands and later in south Florida, Jackie was exposed early on to running businesses smoothly. Her family operated restaurants for a number of years as well, and she transferred her love of all things culinary to advising clients on the operational side of the business. She helps clients, both locally and nationally, streamline their processes, develop acquisition programs and expand their portfolios.

Jackie’s experience mapping out strategies for real estate development and finance, including commercial leasing, extends beyond the hospitality industry. She has also represented clients acquiring hundred-million-dollar portfolios out of bankruptcy estates, as well as other multi-site and multi-state purchases and sales. In addition, she assists foreign entities and individuals with setting up optimal tax structures for ownership of residential and commercial property in the U.S.

Clients appreciate Jackie’s attention to detail, respect for their budgets, and commitment to getting the job done. They are also amazed by her ability to bring people together who will benefit from networking with each other. She is well connected in the Central Florida community, currently serving on the Governmental Affairs Committee of CFHLA (Central Florida Hotel & Lodging Association). A frequent speaker at high-profile hospitality industry events, she is the immediate past president of CREW-Orlando (Commercial Real Estate Women) and serves on numerous other boards and committees as well.

Beyond her service to clients and community, Jackie enjoys cooking, traveling, and race car driving.

Jackie has worked with many repeat clients, including:

Applebee’s
Bonefish Grill
Brass Tap
Burger King
Carrabba’s Italian Grill
Fleming’s Prime Steak House & Wine Bar
IHOP
Jeremiah’s Italian Ice
Megastron Development
Outback Steakhouse
Roy’s
Seymour International
Wendy’s
Wing Stop

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Ty J. Pryor — Associate

Ty Pryor is an attorney in the firm’s Real Estate Group, and his practice focuses on real estate development, finance and transactions, condominiums, property owners’ associations, commercial leasing, commercial lending and title insurance.

Prior to attending law school, Ty was a professional baseball player and high school mathematics teacher. He also served for five years in the United States Army as a Russian cryptologic linguist.

Ty earned his juris doctorate from the University of Florida Levin College of Law, where he was a member of the Journal of Technology Law & Policy and received CALI Awards in Cybersecurity Law and Administrative Law. While at law school, he served as a legal intern for the United States Department of Homeland Security and was a summer law clerk at Lowndes. Ty received his bachelor’s degree in public communications and political science from the University of North Florida, where he was a pitcher for the university's baseball team. He also holds an associate of arts degree in Russian studies from the Defense Language Institute.

In the community, Ty has been an active volunteer with organizations such as the University of Florida Collegiate Veterans Success Center and the Humane Society of North Central Florida. When not practicing law, he enjoys golf, hiking, motorcycling and cheering on the Orlando Magic.

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Article Detail

News & Knowledge

Cheers to SB148: Alcohol-to-Go Made Permanent in Florida

Tara L. Tedrow — Shareholder & Chair, Cannabis & Controlled Substances Group

Jacqueline Bozzuto — Shareholder & Co-Chair, Hospitality & Leisure Group

Jackie Bozzuto has extensive experience mapping out strategies for real estate development and finance for the hospitality industry and beyond. She has also assisted clients with acquiring portfolios out of bankruptcy estates, as well as multi-site and multi-state purchases and sales.

Ty J. Pryor — Associate