Reinstating Happy Hour: A lifeline for struggling bars or a public safety threat?

The last few years have been tough for bars, restaurants, and downtown districts in general.

State Senator Julian Cyr, democrat from Truro, thinks reinstating Happy Hour could help. “I think of the businesses in downtown Boston who are really struggling to get people in the door because people are just not coming into the office. This could be a tool that could help.”

2-for-1 drink promotions were eliminated in 1984.

This new version, which is a budget amendment, would allow communities to opt in or opt out.

“I think a lot has changed,” said Cyr. “Massachusetts has been moving away from our really puritanical perspective on drinking and alcohol consumption.”

Dana Rosenblatt, owner of Sullivan’s Tap by North Station and three other establishments in the area, said restaurants and bars have taken such a hit during COVID that any attempt to help them is welcomed.

“So many of them went out of business,” added Rosenblatt. “To them any incentive to get people in, just to potentially get a new customer to come in.”

The Massachusetts Restaurant Association is opposing the idea of bringing Happy Hour back.

“If drinks are discounted, we do better,” Rosenblatt said. “The state does better. The customer feels as though they’re getting more out of the interaction. Why not?”

Newton police chief John Carmichael will you tell why not.

He says the whole concept of getting people to start drinking earlier in the day, and to encourage them with discounted prices, is faulty.

“You’d have people that could potentially be consuming more because of the prices and everything, and then leaving there in motor vehicles and driving impaired and causing crashes.”

Supporters point to the popularity of Uber and Lyft, which obviously didn’t exist 40 years ago.

Bill Burns of Salem told us, as he enjoyed a beer at Sullivan’s Tap, that he thinks Happy Hour is an antidote for our times.

“It brings people together, as well as it brings communities together,” said Burns. “It gets everyone off their cell phones, off Facebook, and gets people actually meeting each other.”

Senator Cyr emphasizes it’s important to be mindful of alcohol’s negative effects.

He adds that two states reinstated Happy Hour over the past decade and have not seen any increase in impaired driving rates.

According to Cyr, Massachusetts is the only state with a full ban on any kind of promotions involving alcohol.

Last week, Governor Charlie Baker said he considers himself a “hard sell” on reinstating Happy Hour.

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