New Albany's Village Center DORA (Designated Outdoor Refreshment Area)

Village Center DORA is designed to bring people together to enjoy all that Village Center has to offer while supporting our local restaurants, bars and shops. Now, residents and visitors can enjoy an alcoholic beverage within our designated outdoor refreshment area while shopping, strolling or socializing. It’s another way that the City continues to identify innovative ways to creating an inviting, connected, walkable hub of activity. 

According to the Ohio Revised Code 4301.82, a DORA is a specific area within a community, exempt from open container provisions of Ohio law. The DORA legally allows patrons to purchase and openly carry alcoholic beverages from participating bars and restaurants and then take those drinks, in designated containers, with them outside and into other participating businesses and retail shops within the DORA boundaries. Only qualified permit holders within the DORA can dispense the alcohol.

Village Center DORA will be in operation from 5 to 10 p.m. each Thursday through Saturday and during pre-approved community events. These hours and days can be changed by City Council at any time. Any community event that is held within the DORA must receive a permit through the office of the city manager.

Participating merchants include:

• BrewDog, 97 E. Dublin-Granville Road
• Hudson 29, 260 Market Street, D
• Mellow Mushroom Pizza, 260 Market Street, A
• Rusty Bucket, 180 Market Street

Signs throughout the Village Center DORA will help you stay in the boundaries, guide you to DORA participating restaurants and bars, find stores that allow DORA beverages while you shop and learn which shops prefer you drink elsewhere.

• Each DORA beverage must be served in a new, unused official DORA Cup.
• Only one (1) DORA Cup is permitted at a time per participant.
• Do not enter a participating DORA liquor establishment with a DORA beverage purchased elsewhere.
• Recycle the DORA cup before entering another liquor establishment or exiting the DORA district.
• Businesses reserve the right to prohibit consumption of alcohol on their property.
• Pay attention to DORA sidewalk signs, window decals and mounted signs.
• Window decals indicate participating merchants, shops that allow drinks inside and ones who would rather you drink elsewhere.
• Do not explore outside the DORA boundaries with your beverage.
• No BYOB. All beverages must be purchased at a participating establishment.
• Patrons must be 21 or older to participate.
• Violating the DORA rules can result in a $150.00 per ORC 4301.62 (and reference to local ordinance provisions).
• Check out our FAQ for more information.

Check out our FAQ for more detailed information on Village Center DORA. Still have a question? Email DORA@newalbanyohio.org. If you are a merchant seeking to participate, email admin@newalbanyohio.org.