SWAN QUARTER — Hyde County Board of Commissioners approved the sale of alcoholic beverages before noon on Sundays.

Gov. Roy Cooper signed Senate Bill 155, known by most as the “brunch bill,” on June 30, allowing municipalities to choose whether to enact ordinances approving earlier alcohol sales.

The legislation permits the sale of “malt beverages, unfortified wine, fortified wine and mixed beverages beginning at 10:00 A.M. on Sunday.” It applies to restaurants, grocery stores, gas stations and more — any establishment that is permitted to sell alcohol.

“Many of our visitors come from states where this is already allowed and are surprised and dismayed when told they can’t imbibe until noon. North Carolina would join 47 states that have already addressed earlier alcohol sales on Sunday,” Ann Warner, owner of Howard’s Pub on Ocracoke, wrote in an email to Hyde County Manager Bill Rich.

After Cooper signed the bill into law, several areas moved quickly to enact ordinances to allow earlier sales. Some of those municipalities include Atlantic Beach and Surf City, as well as Carrboro (the first to enact an ordinance), Raleigh, and most recently, Chocowinity.

New Bern’s Board of Aldermen voted to not pass such an ordinance. Those against the “brunch bill” argue that allowing alcohol sales will deter church attendance.

Hyde County’s resolution, approved Monday, provides the following reasons for the decision:

• “Sunday morning alcohol service will allow the hospitality community and retail merchants in our county to meet the needs of their customers.”
• “Sunday morning alcohol service will benefit the county’s small business community, bring people into business districts earlier in the day and generate increased tax revenues.”
• “Our county has a diverse and growing population with different religious beliefs, each of which has various times and multiple days for worship.”

“Brunch bill” sales in Hyde County are expected to begin this weekend.