Some Winchester businesses asking for extended Sunday alcohol sales

WINCHESTER, Ky. (WKYT) - Business owners in Winchester are gearing up for a busy fall season.

“That’s what we’re really trying to capitalize on is letting people know Winchester is already a great place to come at night. But you should also come during the day for things like lunch and brunch. That you should really make the venture over,” said Chad Walker, co-owner of Engine House Pub and Pizza Parlor.

But the restaurant, bar and brewery owners in Winchester worry that no one will choose their city as their brunch destination, until their Sunday alcohol sales ordinance changes.

“That just makes it a lot more in line with what Lexington does for brunch service. It also lets everyone know that Winchester is more progressive in its thought of how to handle the future and its businesses,” Walker said.

Walker’s become the spokesperson for the other downtown business owners in their work to change hours of alcohol sales. Currently, you can sell alcohol from 1:00 to 8:00 p.m. on Sundays. The business owners have asked city council members to change those hours to 11:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.

“It makes no sense for us to be open on Sunday. Right now, we aren’t open on a Sunday but if this passes, we’ll relook at that. A lot of the other businesses have already had people who have come in and left because of that,” Walker said.

Taking the request to Tuesday’s council meeting, members asked the city attorney to draft an ordinance with this possible time change amendment. Something they’ll now vote on at their next meeting.

“This is a very simple ask to assist businesses. And this is on the backside of a global pandemic. Even if it’s just two hours, it helps tremendously,” Walker said.

Council members will vote whether to approve the ordinance change at their next meeting.

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