By ANNELIA NIXON

Tribune Business Reporter

anixon@tribunemedia.net

The co-owner of a Bahamian liquor store says banning drive-through alcohol sales will damage its competitive advantage and eliminate a segment that accounts for 50 percent of its sales.

The co-owner, speaking out on condition of anonymity after it was revealed that window or “cage” alcohol sales, will be banned from January 1, 2026, as part of the Government’s new liquor licensing regime along with sales by so-called “drive throughs”, take-away restaurants, convenience stores and supermarkets, and mobile bars, said their store’s drive-through “is a big part of our operation.

“I don't feel as if it's going to affect our establishment as much, seeing as we don't have a cage. But we do have a drive-through,” the co-owner said. “So that there can be a little bit complicated, because the drive-through is actually a big part of our operation, seeing that it's so convenient.

“A lot of people, they are under-dressed, or they're too tired, or they're prideful and they don't want anybody to see them, or they have kids in the car. And so with us having a drive-through window, that's like a bonus.”

The co-owner added that the convenience provided by the drive-through has been a huge “selling point” for their store, and said it has given them an edge over nearby competitors.

“So what I've noticed is there's a lot of liquor stores in this area but, if I'm not mistaken, I think  we're the only drive-through,” they said. “And so that helps with us, as far as customers are concerned, because this is pretty much the only place on this long stretch that people can actually come and just drive right up and get served and go without having to leave their car.

“So as far as that is concerned, I feel like that would hurt the business, in a sense, because that gives us a bit of an advantage amongst our competitors because of the convenience that we're able to offer with our drive-through service.

“The drive-through is a very important part of what we actually do. It's what makes us, us, in a sense, because of the convenience and all the other stuff that it actually provides. Bahamians are generally lazy. It's the truth. And one of our selling points has always been convenience making things easy,” the co-owner continued.

“Even as far as our popular items, we put them in easy-to-reach areas, or right at the front door or whatever, because we want to make it as convenient for our customers as possible. And having that drive-through, that does that. So, I feel like it would definitely hurt us, and we won't agree with it.”

Acknowledging that they were not aware of the rationale driving the Government’s new liquor licensing regime, the co-owner called for a meeting between the industry and relevant  government agencies in a bid to find “common ground”.

“I don't think it's right to make changes without knowing and fully understanding the entire concept of what it is or what it takes to operate that business,” they said. “So it's basically like, you're on the outside looking in, but yet here you are making all of the decisions.

“I don't feel like you can make a decision about something that you don't understand. That's like me going to NASA and I telling them, 'Hey, I don't think y'all should fly the spaceship today.' I don't know anything about spaceships, so like, I have no right to actually go there and say some stuff like that.

”And I feel like it's the same thing here. More due diligence needs to be done, and they need to meet with the owners and the operators to see if some sort of common ground can actually be met.”

There was, however, support for the Government’s move to prohibit take-away restaurants that double as liquor stores. Many liquor retailers and wholesalers owners have voiced displeasure with such businesses selling liquor either inside or through a caged walk-up window.

The co-owner said they “agree wholeheartedly” on that element of the crackdown, adding: “I've never supported that, and I don't support it today.”

“I feel like the playing field should definitely be levelled, especially for us as Bahamians, and I don't feel like we should be at a disadvantage in our own country,” they said.

“So them using a restaurant licence in order to sell liquor earlier and later than the average Bahamian [who owns a liquor establishment], that's definitely a ‘no’. I've never supported that, and I don't support it today.”

They also noted the disadvantage of alcohol distribution through a caged walk-up window and drive-throughs, including difficulty detecting under-age drinkers.

“I agree to some extent that, with the takeaway windows, it's easier for them to go in and purchase alcohol, because what ends up happening is you don't exactly have a clear view of who's in front of you in order to say, 'I can clearly see that this is a child’, or this person isn't old enough, or I'm not certain that this person is old enough so let me check for some ID,'” they said.

“With the takeaway windows, everything is a lot more fast-paced. So we have lines outside, people in the hot sun. So I feel like, like them as operators, like they just want to get the people in and out. So as far as the licence and checking for IDs and ‘what-not’, they're not going to be too focused on that. So, I don't know if there's a way to implement, whether you have a take-out or not, that you have to check for ID, but maybe that actually needs to happen.”