New York State Bars Can Serve Alcohol At 8am This Sunday

This Sunday’s Buffalo Bills “home” game certainly won’t be traditional when it comes to tailgating. 

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Instead of fighting the traffic at Highmark Stadium this week, Bills Mafia will be plopped (or standing, if the game is intense) in front of televisions all over Western New York to watch the Bills take on the Jacksonville Jaguars at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London for one of five international NFL games in 2023. 

Kickoff for the highly anticipated event is at 2:30pm GMT, a typical afternoon start that will give UK tailgaters plenty of time to pregame. However, since London is 6 hours ahead of Western New York, Bills fans on the east coast will have to crawl out of bed for a 9:30am start time.

For Western New York bars and restaurants who rely on their loyal customers to come in to buy some food and beers during Bills game, this throws a huge wrench in their potential profits.

Sunday Liquor Laws In New York State

The New York State Liquor Authority  prohibits establishments from selling alcohol between 4am and 10am on Sundays - bad news for Bills fans who want to have a few pregame beers at their favorite pub. In order to serve before the Bills game, they’d have to apply for a permit to do so at least 15 days in advance. 

However, there’s a way that our favorite Western New York Bills-watching spots can save the day for themselves and their patrons.

New York State Bars Can Serve Alcohol At 8am This Sunday

Governor Kathy Hochul announced that the liquor authority will be extending the deadline that bars and restaurants can apply for the proper permit to serve alcohol this Sunday morning.

The Sunday On-Premises Sales Permit would allow local establishments that serve alcohol to be able to start selling it as early as 8am this Sunday.

The permit costs $35, and local establishments have through Friday to print out an application here and mail it to the New York State Liquor Authority office at:

Alfred E. Smith Office Building

Suite 900

80 South Swan St.

Albany, NY 12210-8002

Although we’re sure local haunts all over Western New York are now scrambling to get their application in before the deadline, we’re sure it also comes as a huge relief, knowing their alcohol sales can be spared this Sunday. (Not to mention the Bills fans who wanted to start off the morning with a pregame beer at their favorite spot.)