Quebecers can now order wine from their favourite restaurants alongside a meal

Just in time for the holidays, Quebecers can now have alcohol delivered by third parties like Skip The Dishes, Uber Eats or Door Dash with the purchase of a meal.

From now on, it will also be authorized to consume alcohol in restaurant dining rooms that remain open in non-red zone regions without having  to purchase food.

Delivery of spirits will not be allowed, nor the sale of take-out alcohol without food.

Restaurant owners who manage the delivery themselves have been able to sell alcohol to accompany a meal since 2002, but those using the services of a third party were previously not allowed to do so.

The National Assembly passed Bill 72 in just before the adjournment. All parties voted in favour of the bill presented at the start of the parliamentary session by the Public Security Minister Geneviève Guilbault.

The news comes as a relief for some restaurant owners who have been struggling to make ends meet due to pandemic closures. However, the new law does not help ease the pain of bar owners in the province.

Earlier this week, a group of restaurant owners launched a civil disobedience campaign, threatening to start selling wine in violation of the rules.

Now, the news of the bill's adoption is being met with celebration from the Canadian Federation of Independent Business, among other groups representing business owners.

François Vincent, vice-president of the associtation, told Radio-Canada that this move was a "glimmer of hope" for owners who hope to draw in more customers now that they can offer wine and food pairings to go.