'Mimosa flights, and more': Sunday alcohol sales start July 4 in Cullman, Good Hope

Jul. 3—July 4 marks the beginning of alcohol sales on Sunday in both Cullman and Good Hope, and with it, a new revenue generating opportunity — on a steadfastly busy weekend shopping day — for the businesses, restaurants, and municipalities that all take profit by taking part.

In both cities, package stores, as well as convenience stores, restaurants, and groceries will begin opening for business on Sundays, in the weeks to come if they haven't made preparations to do so this weekend (package store Cabin Fever says it'll be open tomorrow from 10 a.m. until 10 p.m., the legal Sunday alcohol sales period for all of its locations in both Cullman and Good Hope).

While there's money to be made by operating on a day when people are out and about, it isn't likely to inject rocket fuel into municipal coffers, according to Cullman officials. Rather, it'll provide an incremental bump in alcohol-related tax revenues, while retaining Sunday sales market share inside Cullman County.

More importantly, says Susan Eller of the Cullman Economic Development Agency, it'll afford local businesses an extra day to make money they keep for themselves...while opening the door to new ones that otherwise might not consider Cullman as a location destination.

"For the cities, it's going to be a smaller amount of revenue, because you've got more than one city permitting it," said Eller, who also sits on the city council at Good Hope, and helped pass Sunday sales into existence there. "But you do open the door for restaurants to look at us that would not have, until now.

"It also helps the businesses we already have," she added. "In Cullman, our local restaurants were hit with Covid-19, and some had to shut down for longer than they'd anticipated. They really worked to find ways to retain their sales during that time, and when they finally did open up again, they faced an employment issue with being adequately staffed. We're hoping that, by giving them an extra day, it will help them see some additional profit."

Though the change applies equally to retail businesses and restaurants whether they're chain franchises or locally owned and operated, the push to amend local ordinances to allow Sunday sales was largely spurred by local owners. Christine Chamblee, who owns Dreher's Cocktail Bar & Restaurant in Cullman, was among the owners who approached the Cullman City Council with the request.

Now that the law has changed, Chamblee said she plans to begin hosting Sunday brunch at her restaurant — complete with a slate of themed cocktails from the bar — which previously had to stay dormant on Sundays.

"That's the plan for sure," she said. "We're excited about it; brunch is my favorite. It's great for other businesses, too; really the whole area. Sundays are typically big family days; shopping days, and a lot of people go to Birmingham or Huntsville from here if they also plan to stop and eat; have a drink at a restaurant or pick up wine from a store.

"This is a great way to keep those sales here, not only at restaurants, but at grocery stores and gas stations. Like a lot of places, we'll need to get our staffing sorted out first, so that we open on Sundays and give our customers good service. But it's on the way — Sunday brunch; the Bloody Mary bar; mimosa flights, and more."

Eller said early estimates have shown that an extra day of alcohol sales isn't likely to lavish unprecedented tax revenues onto already-robust alcohol funds at both Cullman and Good Hope. The numbers won't be known until the sales start coming in, but Cullman, for example, can expect to see a 10-year revenue boost of just more than $100,000, split between its liquor tax and sales taxes, by making alcohol available an additional day.

"It's not a ton of money, and it's hard to pinpoint these kinds of figures until we have some real numbers to inspect," she said. "But we're hopeful that it will be a boost to our existing businesses, and that it'll help Cullman be in the middle of the conversation when new restaurants start showing an interest."