MUNCIE, Ind. - On July 7, Muncie opened designated outdoor refreshment areas (DORAs) in the Ball State University Village, the McKinley neighborhood, and downtown Muncie. The DORA’s allow people to carry purchased alcohol while walking in designated parts of the city, and businesses have now adapted to the new districts.
In downtown Muncie, Heidi Donaldson has been co-owner of Little Chicago’s on Walnut Street for three months. In that time, she says she has seen some new faces.
“…But since the DORAs have been in effect, there's been a lot more of the, you know, 20- to 30-year-old people coming, and a lot more alcohol sales,” Donaldson said.
Even though more people have been buying more alcohol, Donaldson says the DORAs have made it a safer environment to drink.
“It's a more controlled environment. And I don't feel people are downtown like showing out and doing a lot of crazy things and things like that,” Donaldson said. “You don't see that a lot anymore, because they're allowed to go outside with it, as long as they have it in that cup that says 'DORA’ on it. There's been no problems downtown.”
Just down the street is a pub called the Heorot. Bartender and manager Joshua Stacey says that the DORAs have brought in more customers.
“We've had clientele from the hotels come in. We've had people from tattoo shops come in, get a beer to go, and get like a THC seltzer or something to go and get the DORA cup,” Stacey said.
As for his boss and owner of the Heorot, Bill Kerr, he says that it's been business as usual.
“I think that, you know, people aren't afraid to have a little more fun. You know, walk around downtown, maybe visit some shops, the tattoo shops, the toy stores, wherever might welcome [you to] the door,” Kerr said.
And you know that business welcomes you by looking for that green sticker on the door.
Contact Daniel Huber with comments at daniel.huber@bsu.edu.
