Asheville City Council votes to allow Sunday cocktail sales at 10 a.m.

Want a cocktail with your brunch before noon on Sunday? Now you can order one.

At its July 25 meeting, Asheville City Council voted to allow sales of alcoholic beverages beginning at 10 a.m.

The action comes after the N.C. General Assembly enacted a bill on June 29 allowing local governments to decide on whether to allow alcoholic beverage sales. The new law went into effect on June 30.

This move supports City Council’s Strategic Operating Plan/Vision 2036 in the focus area of “Thriving Local Economy” by:

  • Allowing the hospitality community and retail merchants to meet the needs of their customers.
  • And it benefits the small business community by bringing customers into business districts earlier in the day.

Prior to the passage of Senate Bill 155, state law prohibited the sale or consumption of alcoholic beverages on any licensed premises until noon on Sundays across the state. North Carolina now joins 47 other states in allowing alcohol service before noon on Sunday.