Requires restaurants and persons authorized to sell alcoholic beverages to have tangible menus available upon request.
Summary
This bill would require restaurants and businesses licensed to sell alcoholic beverages for on-premises consumption to provide a printed or otherwise tangible menu when a customer asks for one. The menu must communicate essential information about food and beverages available for sale, and the bill also allows legible wall signage or other conspicuous posted information to satisfy the tangible-menu requirement. It expressly prohibits a business from relying exclusively on digital or online menus.
The bill amends the General Business Law by adding a new section, 396-uu, and incorporates the existing Alcoholic Beverage Control Law definitions of “restaurant” and “licensee.” It would take effect 30 days after becoming law. In practical terms, it would create a statewide consumer-access requirement for physical menu availability in restaurants and on-premises alcohol licensees, affecting how these businesses present menu information to patrons.
Impact
The bill would add a new consumer protection rule to the General Business Law, requiring covered restaurants and on-premises alcohol licensees to maintain tangible menu access for customers. It would affect businesses that have moved to digital-only menu systems by mandating printed menus, posted signage, or other physical menu formats, and it would give customers the right to request a non-digital menu. The measure does not appear to create a new enforcement scheme in the text, but it would establish a clear statutory standard that businesses would need to follow.
Sentiment
Based on the bill text and the absence of recorded committee debate or votes, the overall sentiment appears to be supportive of consumer access and accommodation. The sponsor list suggests the bill is framed as a practical consumer-facing measure rather than a controversial policy change. No formal opposition, amendments, or recorded roll-call concerns are provided in the available materials.
Contention
The main point of potential contention is the requirement that businesses maintain tangible menus even as many have shifted to QR-code or digital-only ordering systems. Supporters are likely to view the bill as improving accessibility for customers who prefer or need printed menus, while opponents may see it as an added operational burden or a limit on business flexibility. Another possible issue is the bill’s broad application to both restaurants and on-premises alcohol licensees, which could affect a wide range of establishments.