NYC: tobacco shops can’t give away coffee

The Barclay Rex smoking shop must seek a permit as a “food establishment” even if it gives away the brew for free, the city says [Sullum, Reason “Hit and Run”] Readers wonder (h/t Jeff Stier) whether the city is also going to start picking on car dealerships, bookshops and even police stations that offer free coffee, a question to which I think we know the answer.

4 Comments

  • […] the form of a front page frozen in time at the last post just before upgrade (in this case, “NYC: tobacco shops can’t give away coffee“). I’ve tried to avert this problem with more careful attention to the cache file, but […]

  • A silly q perhaps, but since this is a coffee machine we’re talking about, does the shop itself not become a U-Brew outfit instead?

    And yeah, I know it ain’t about what it’s about. Just askin’, tho.

  • All I know is that I am not going to risk jail by offering friends a drink in my apartment.

    Bob

  • LOL, Bob! That made my day.

    I’m sure the law is trying to discourage getting free perks with a pack of smokes, which in turn discourages smoking.

    Is it considered a tax write-off if Barclay Rex, using the “food establishment” permit, gives coffee away? Lol! That could save them a bundle.