Through 2020, and 2021 the sale of alcohol at a variety of establishments in Cancun was more or less restricted. With authorities cutting down the number of hours that beverages containing alcohol could be sold. With virtually all COVID-19 protocols slowly being dialed back the sale of alcoholic beverages will in essence return to normal hours. Something that convenience stores, bars, restaurants, and tourists alike will enjoy.
The regulations currently in effect stipulate different rules for each type of establishment. There are closing times for each type of establishment. It’s also mentioned that certain nightlife venues are going to be allowed to serve alcohol in what authorities are calling an extraordinary schedule. This will allow bars, and nightlife venues to sell alcohol until 3am in the morning.
Ask About The Type of Venue That You’re Entering
The sale of alcohol in the Cancun area is regulated by a set of permits that restaurants, and bars have to get from local authorities. There are different types of permits that a venue can apply for depending on the type of business that is being carried out at each particular spot. The current guidelines state that restaurants in the region are going to be able to sell alcohol up until 1am of the next day. Venues that are registered under the designation of restaurant-bar however, they can operate until 3am like all nightlife venues.
On Sundays though, their selling hours have to be done at 11pm. Just like regular restaurants are mandated to do. Hence, the importance of knowing the type of venue that you’re entering. Particularly, if you want to be able to drink alcohol until the late hours of the night. By the way, restaurants, and restaurant bars are allowed to start their sale of alcoholic beverages at 10am. Which makes them the venues that get the earliest start to the day on that front other than convenience stores. It can be good to keep that in mind if you want to head out for mimosas early in the day.
Convenience Stores Operate Under An Entirely Different Set of Rules
When it comes to convenience stores, or virtually any store where alcohol is potentially sold, the selling hours at these spots operate independently from bars and restaurants. If you want to get access to these types of drinks really early in the day this is where you’re going to be able to find them. Supermarkets and convenience stores can start selling alcoholic beverages at 9am.
The starting points don’t vary for these venues despite the day of the week. From Monday through Saturday though you can continue to buy beverages from these spots up until midnight. Some spots though may close off the sale of alcohol at 10pm on a daily basis. On Sundays these types of stores are going to be offering alcoholic beverages for sale from 9 to 5 only.
The regulations that are currently in place have started to mold to what they are today since late March when Quintana Roo went to a green COVID warning level.
In which, many stores and restaurants are effectively going to be selling alcoholic beverages through the extraordinary hours that we previously mentioned. Which, allow bars and nightclubs to continue the sale of drinks through 3pm. This also means that tourists and locals can find these drinks on sale at convenience stores until midnight.
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