For many college students, the only thing better than a frozen daiquiri is a frozen daiquiri drive-thru.
Who Dat’s, a new a drive-thru daiquiri bar, opened Feb. 8 on Jackson Avenue within walking distance of campus.
“As of right now, we are all really excited about the place, from the support to the feedback — even the excitement and hustle in the staff,” Who Dat’s manager Tyler McKeithen said. “I want people in New Orleans hearing about this place.”
While the sale of daiquiris is not new for Oxford, this is the first drive-thru bar to come to town.
Drive-thru bars are legal due to a law defining open containers that was passed by the Mississippi State Legislature during the 2018 session.
While the main purpose of the law was to establish punishments for people found to be in possession of an “open container” of alcohol in a vehicle or public area, the law stated that city ordinances could not impose harsher restrictions than those detailed in state law.
The law established a formal definition for an “open container” of alcohol and what the punishments would be for having an open container of alcohol in a vehicle. Under the law, alcohol must be in a closed container in a vehicle and away from the “area designed to seat the driver and passengers while the motor vehicle is in operation and any area that is readily accessible to the driver or a passenger while in their seated positions.”
For the beverage to be considered in a closed container, the straw cannot poke through the top, so Who Dat’s adds a piece of blue tape over the lid to prevent drivers from being tempted to drink and drive.
“The law now requires (the drink) not to be open while operating a vehicle. We provide that information to everyone acquiring,” McKeithen said.
McKeithen said they do not use the hard liquor that would usually go into a daiquiri. Instead, Who Dat’s uses a wine blend.
During Who Dat’s opening weekend, the establishment sold at least 832 daiquiris, according to its Facebook page.
Blue Sky, a local gas station, put itself ahead of the curve by serving daiquiris to-go starting about two years ago.
Oxford Police Department Captain Hildon Sessums said that OPD is not treating Who Dat’s opening any differently than Blue Sky’s opening and will abide by the definition of “closed container” that is explained in the state law.
“It is what it is, and we’ll make sure to keep an eye out for it,” Sessums said.
