Sunday Sales Will Boost Dacula's Economy

At last night’s candidate forum for Dacula City Council candidates, the issue of the Sunday Sales referendum question on the Nov. 8 ballot came up at least a few times.

I have it on good authority that every year Appleby’s and Chili’s contact our city government and ask if liquor by the drink has been passed yet. They have made overtures that they would strongly consider locating here if a Sunday sales referendum were to pass. When they are inevitably told each year, that no, we still don’t allow alcohol on Sundays, they withdraw their interest, yet again.

If the liquor by the drink option were to pass, not only would it bring bigger chains like Appleby’s and Chili’s, it would also increase the business of already established eateries in town. Why should we give those sales of alcoholic beverages to Lawrenceville, Suwanee or Buford, when we keeping that revenue in Dacula?

Besides the increase to restaurant profits that Sunday sales would bring to Dacula, the willingness to move beyond a small town vision to a more receptive atmosphere would no doubt pique the interest of all types of other major businesses, beyond the restaurant variety.

I know there are those in this town who stand on their moral principles in opposing Sunday Sales. I deeply respect those principles. I am a Christian as well, but I am also an American who believes in liberty and freedom. I don’t think I have the right to limit options for people based on what I believe. Regardless of how I feel about drinking, I will leave it to others to make the decision of right or wrong, or how to drink responsibly, to them.

Someone in the forum audience last night asked why Dacula cannot reach the heights of city advancement of say Buford or Suwanee. Well, they were told by several of us candidates that we just don’t have the tax base they have there. But they also have liquor by the drink on Sundays.

I realize it is only one day, 12 hours to be exact as spelled out in the referendum’s language, but businessmen relax on weekends and many of them drink. Much business is also conducted on the weekends in restaurants.

Perhaps if we had the atmosphere of acceptance and tolerance that other cities extend to businesses looking to set up shop in their areas, Dacula might be able to bring about a major turnaround that would lead us to greater economic growth and the means to afford a new look more in line with those other cities.

I announced publicly (as I have already took this stance in several blog posts) that I was squarely in favor of locals deciding the question of alcohol sales and that I hoped the referendum would pass.

I firmly believe that it is time for Dacula to court those bigger restaurant chains that will bring a definite influx of cash to our city.