All over the country, local craft brews, and the restaurants that serve them, have been drivers of economic development and neighborhood revitalization. But a restrictive law in Minneapolis has prevented the full benefit of the industry.
According to an article by Don Jacobson, "storefronts remain dark because of Minneapolis' '70/30' rule, which calls for restaurants in residential neighborhoods to earn at least 70 percent of their revenue from food and no more than 30 percent from alcohol."
The rule has proven especially restrictive in an era where local breweries and craft beers are drawing large crowds: "That’s a tough standard to meet when locally made brews can go for $6 per glass," says Jacobson.
The article goes on to detail the efforts to overturn the 1997 charter amendment establishing the standard, as well as how a replacement law would work.
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