Fans sit in their seats watching their favorite sporting events. They may be eager for a cold beer to make the stadium experience complete. Not wanting to miss a potentially game-changing play, spectators hesitate to tromp up to the concession stands. But, wait! A roving beer vendor is walking the stands, waiting to be flagged down and quench the fans’ thirsts.
This isn’t a common occurrence in North Carolina, where current restrictions mean that only one stadium is legally allowed to have in-stand beer sales. Jon Hardister, member of the N.C. House of Representatives, representing District 59, aims to relax the restrictions.
As it stands, current N.C. law states that a venue must have more than 60,000 seats, and also be in a city of more than 450,000, in order to have mobile beer vendors. Only one venue meets those requirements: Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte.
Hardister introduced a bill that will legalize in-stand sales of beer at any venue with more than 3,000 seats. The vendors won’t be able to shout to advertise available beer, but will instead be watching to be flagged down by thirsty patrons.
“It sounds reasonable, especially because all of our surrounding states allow it,” said Hardister, who added that he thought most states had more relaxed laws when it came to alcohol in venues. “Basically, it will allow patrons to stay in their seat with their families, and could make life easier on someone who may be elderly or have a disability.”
“It’s all about convenience,” he added.
Hardister clarified that should the bill pass, it won’t be a mandate requiring all venues to provide mobile beer vendors, but that it will give them the choice.
“It’s also about private sector discretion, allowing the teams and buildings to decide how they want to conduct the sale of beer,” he added.
A mobile vendor hawks peanuts in the stands, which is legal everywhere.
The nonprofit Techniques for Effective Alcohol Management (TEAM) Coalition, an alliance that includes all of the major professional leagues in the U.S., as well as several concessions companies like Aramark, DNC Sportservice, and Ovations Food Services, works to educate the industry and promote responsible drinking at venues.
TEAM Coalition Executive Director, Jill Pepper, said that Hardister was right to think that most states allow beer vendors in the stands.
“Currently, there are two states that specifically do not permit roaming beer vendors: New York and California,” said Pepper.
Brian Sanders, Sr. director of Ballpark Operations for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, Calif., clarified restrictions in the state.
“It is a law in the state of California that we are unable to vend beer inside the seating bowl area,” he said. “That’s all venues in California.”
Whether the game is for the National Football League, Major League Baseball, National Hockey League, or Major League Soccer, if it’s at a venue in California, there won’t be beer hawkers.
According to Hardister, the North Carolina bill is bipartisan, with a lot of Democratic and Republican party support. Because of the varied support, he doesn’t expect a lot of opposition and said the bill could go through as soon as the next few weeks.
There are many ways to keep in-stand beer vending as safe as possible. Pepper said that TEAM Coalition offers training to not only concessions employees, but also all facility staff. Everybody working in a venue has a general expectation of behavior, and there are things that many venues do to ensure the legality and safety of mobile alcohol sales.
“Every transaction should involve checking ID, and everyone should go through a training program so that they’re aware of policies and procedures,” said Pepper.
She added that some venues serve only one alcoholic beverage per age-appropriate ID so there is no concern about who is consuming the drink.
Each state has different provisions included in their laws regarding mobile alcohol sales at venues. For instance, Washington state law allows hawking only at “professional sporting events of baseball, football, basketball, soccer, tennis, volleyball, horse racing, hockey, and track and field events,” according to WAC 314-02-058.
There is also a provision under item 4(b) that allows any patron who is uncomfortable passing alcohol in the stands to decline to do so.
Each facility is reviewed one year after beginning to hawk beer, and then every two subsequent years, to be sure that correct procedures are being followed.
SMG Alaska put out alcohol service guidelines that stated, “hawking of alcoholic beverages will be allowed only when individual servers can be assigned to designated areas of the venue for control purposes.”
Other than California and New York, where hawking is entirely prohibited, other states have their own provisions on how strict laws are when it comes to mobile alcohol vendors. Hardister aims to loosen the restrictions in North Carolina.
Interviewed for this story: Jon Hardister, (336) 404-8791; Jill Pepper, (703) 647-7431; Brian Sanders, (714) 940-2143