Raise a glass to the places that sustain America’s rich tradition of hospitality

 

BETHESDA, MD – April 29, 2016 – America’s beer, wine and spirits retailers are encouraging their customers, colleagues and communities to join them this May in celebration of National Tavern Month.  Since 1953, Tavern Month has served as an opportunity to support local hospitality businesses, promote the responsible service and enjoyment of beverage alcohol, and educate everyone about the economic engine formed by the tens of thousands of on-premise beverage licensees throughout the United States.

 

“Every day across the country, American bars and taverns provide food, drink and hospitality to millions of customers in diverse settings and with more beer, wine and spirits options than ever before,” said John Bodnovich, Executive Director of American Beverage Licensees (ABL). “They’re providing unmatched product choice and service while contributing significantly to their national, state and local economies in the form of jobs created, taxes paid and overall economic impact.”

 

Direct retail alcohol sales in on-premise, licensed establishments account for as many as 1.23 million jobs; $31.7 billion in wages and benefits; and more than $76 billion in economic output according to the 2014 Economic Impact Study of America’s Beer, Wine and Spirits Retailers.  When including all sales by on-premise, full-service restaurants and drinking places, those numbers climb to 3.94 million jobs; $96.8 billion in wages and benefits; and over $241 billion in economic impact.

 

For hundreds of years, taverns have worked in their communities – large and small – to provide the best is hospitality and beverage service.  Since the repeal of Prohibition, on-premise licensees have flourished under the three-tier system that has allowed them to focus on customer service and satisfaction, while also working with supplier and distributor partners to create an unsurpassed chain of product accountability and quality that is the envy of countries around the world.

 

Bars and taverns are proving grounds for new cocktails, beer styles and wines, forums for political debate, bastions for like-minded sports fans and otherwise meeting places for business and pleasure. Bar and tavern owners continue to place a strong emphasis on responsible service by training employees and incorporating programs to promote responsibility.  By utilizing technology and working with enforcement and regulatory groups, licensees are doing their part to continue a tradition of responsibility.

 

The growth of technology and changing lifestyles mean that hospitality businesses are always adapting to meet the needs of modern customers and their evolving tastes.  In addition to constantly evaluating their business models, many bar and tavern owners must also navigate an opaque music licensing marketplace. They continue to call for an improved music licensing ecosystem that will make rights ownership information, licensing fee distribution and billing practices more transparent.

 

This May, join ABL in embracing the historic and modern roles of the American tavern, the people who work hard to keep the doors of their businesses open and the good jobs they provide their communities. Celebrate Tavern Month this May by raising a glass to the American tavern – the friendliest place in town!

Why are you stopping by your local tavern?

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