The Oceanside City Council has put a stop to sales of beer and wine at fast-food and drive-thru eateries.
Councilwoman Esther Sanchez said the ban is not in response to a problem but to curtail a growing trend of fast-food restaurants offering beer and wine on the menu.
Sanchez said fast foods restaurants that draw teens as customers are the wrong place to sell alcohol. Plus, she said, drive-thru sales create a community health and safety risk.
“The reason why, especially, I’m concerned about this is that if you’re allowed to sell at a drive-thru window, that means you’re also able to sell for off-site consumption. And so we’re trying to make sure that doesn’t happen,” Sanchez said.
The council voted unanimously Wednesday to ban the sales, but fast-food and drive-thru restaurants that already have a license to sell beer and wine were grandfathered in and will be allowed to continue the sales.
Angelo’s Burgers is a drive-thru restaurant with three Oceanside locations that sell craft beers and food.
Eleni Regakis, marketing manager of Angelo’s Burgers on South Coast Highway, said all three locations have policies to make sure beer is consumed on site. Beer is served in a glass, while other beverages are sold in paper cups. Beer also cannot be ordered at the drive thru.
Twenty Oceanside fast-food restaurants without full-service kitchens are currently licensed to sell beer and wine. They will also be allowed to continue those sales.
Oceanside has mulled over the restrictions since February 2014. Representatives from North Coastal Prevention Coalition, Oceanside Chamber of Commerce, Oceanside MainStreet and the San Diego County chapter of the California Restaurant Association met with city staff to give their comments on the citywide regulations.
The city is also looking at adopting an alcohol sales and service training program in the future.
