Caterers Will Get a Boozy Boost in 2023 Thanks to New Liquor Law

Caterers across the East End and around the state got an early Christmas present from Governor Kathy Hochul last month, when she signed a new law that lifts the previous seating requirements for being able to obtain a business liquor license.

The new law will allow catering companies that do not operate out of a restaurant space to obtain liquor licenses, which they could not get before. The allowance will allow caterers to book more types of events and to provide a full bar service at private homes, where in the past the property owner would have had to provide the alcohol.

The bill was the brainchild of Art of Eating owner John Kowalenko and was shepherded through the New York State Legislature by Assemblyman Fred W. Thiele Jr. of Sag Harbor.

Kowalenko this week said he had been stunned to find out in 2019 when his catering company, which had long operated out of the former Honest Diner in Amagansett and then the Parrish Art Museum, moved to a commercial warehouse in Bridgehampton that had no “seating” like a restaurant would have, he could not get a liquor license from the New York State Liquor Authority for his off-premises catering.

State law at the time required that a business have at least 50 seats to get a liquor license.

“I called the SLA and said, ‘But we’re an off-premises caterer,’ and they said you have to have 50 seats,” Kowalenko recalled. “I said that’s crazy and someone at the SLA actually said to me, ‘Well, maybe you could get the law changed,” so I said ‘Okay.’ Challenge accepted.”

On December 17 — after three years of lobbying by Kowalenko and East Hampton-based catering company owners Rudy and Christina DiSanti and Cynthia Battaglia, the New York State Restaurant Association and sympathetic lawmakers — the law was changed.

“This new law supports small businesses by making it easier for the off-premise catering industry to operate and remain competitive in New York State,” Thiele said in a statement announcing the passage of the new statute. “I was pleased to work with the State Liquor Authority, Senator Anna Kaplan and many of my local off-premise caterers on this effort to make our small businesses a more viable and essential part of our economy.”

Kowalenko said the change will be a major boon to the catering industry starting with the coming summer season. The caterers still have to get specific liquor licenses for the events they will throw, but at least they can do so now. Any event for which tickets are sold — such as fundraisers or art shows at museums — require that the caterer have a liquor license, which previously limited the options for who could bid on such events.

“My wife mentioned all the business we had to turn away because we didn’t have this,” Kowalenko lamented. “There was a lot we had to turn away, we left a lot on the table.”