'We've got to get ready:' Restaurants, diners excited about 'brunch bill'

For many, Sunday brunch is a tradition, but current laws mandate that those who want to order alcohol with their meal must wait until noon.

Russell Nash of Irregardless Café said people aren’t always aware of the law and usually aren’t thrilled when they find out about it.

“People get very disappointed. They’ll come in at 10:30 a.m. and ask for a mimosa or a screwdriver or something like that and they can’t get it,” Nash said.

Sen. Rick Gunn, R-Alamance, filed a bill Wednesday that, if passed, would give city and county governments the option of allowing restaurants the ability to sell alcohol two hours earlier on Sundays.

“If people want to have a drink at ten in the morning, they should be able to,” diner Catlyn Leavengood.

Many said they think the change will be good for local business.

“I think it would help the economy, make people more willing to go out to brunch on their day off,” said one diner.

Others said they don’t think the change in regulation will make much of a difference.

“I don’t think that it’s going to make much of an impact on a lot of folks one way or the other,” said diner Donna Worcester.

Either way, the proposed bill has brunch hotspots looking toward the future because something that once seemed out of reach could soon become a reality.

“It means we’ve got to get ready,” Nash said.

The bill would also allow distilleries to sell five bottles of alcohol directly to every person who tours one each year. The current limit is one bottle.