Tom Lisk

Behold, the nanobrewery

Trae Cairns wants to break into the local craft beer scene, and he’s starting small. Very small.

Monday Q&A: Time to advertise happy hour?

A new Republican governor in Virginia could mean new opportunities for businesses in the Commonwealth. Perhaps no enterprise has more to gain than independent liquor stores, should ABC be disbanded. And more flexible rules will finally let pubs advertise their happy hour specials on a placard or sign outside their establishments. This week, BizSense chats with Tom Lisk, a veteran attorney who lobbies for the restaurant and hospitality industries.

New ABC program may eventually soften the hated 45% ratio

The often-ridiculed law that requires restaurants to sell a minimum dollar value of food based on liquor sales has shown extraordinary staying power, in part because a powerful beer and wine lobby opposes upsetting the status quo.

But one law based on House Bill 2293, could make things easier for restaurant owners who want to sell high-quality liquor by allowing restaurants to calculate their ratio based on the volume of liquor sold, not by the dollar figure as is currently done.