North Carolina Tweaks Rules for Cigar Bars

A last-minute addition to a bill related to alcohol sales in North Carolina should expand the number of cigar bars in the state.

Governor Roy Cooper signed S.B. 527, a bill related to the state’s Alcoholic Beverage Commission. The bill includes text that critics say will make owning or operating a cigar bar in North Carolina much easier, according to media reports.

While the state already allows for cigar bars—places that allow for cigar smoking and serve liquor—previously, those businesses were required to be the only entity located in standalone buildings. With the rules change, only if a cigar bar serves food must it be located in a standalone building.

This will greatly increase the number of locations where a cigar bar could be located, likely meaning that many existing cigar stores may be eligible to become cigar bars.

The headline change of the bill is that it allows for to-go cocktails.