ATLANTA — A proposal in the Atlanta City Council could change how late bars can serve alcohol in the city.
Right now, bars have to stop alcohol service at 2:30 a.m. Customers could soon get an extra half an hour to drink Monday through Saturday, and an extra two-and-a-half hours to consume alcohol on Sunday if a bill sponsored by Atlanta City Councilmember Keisha Waites gains traction.
“When people come to Atlanta, they come for our nightlife," Waites said.
Waites said struggling bar and restaurant owners started reaching out to her about eight months ago.
“I started receiving phone calls from folks in the hospitality industry," Waites said. "These are bars and restaurants that indicated they have been devastated following COVID.”
That prompted her to author a bill pushing back "last call" in Atlanta businesses initially to 4 a.m., but she amended the proposal after hearing about safety concerns.
“The feedback I have received from most individuals is 4 o’clock, 'Hmm.' But DeKalb has a 3 a.m. closing hour, to which we would mirror that. We’re looking at possibly Sunday versus the 12 a.m. rule to push it back to 2:30 a.m. for those who watch football," Waites said.
Friday proved to be a busy night for fun and friends at Fado Irish Pub in Buckhead. Most of the customers 11Alive spoke to like the idea.
“I think it could increase nightlife. That's part of the problem with Atlanta, is that everything shuts down and nothing's happening, so it would be a very positive and make it a more fun place," Jennifer Elkins said.
“I can see certainly from a police standpoint, they may have some concerns about it, but as long as the bar owner is responsible and the bartender is watching their clientele, then I think it's fine," David Elkins said.
Waites said the bill would increase liquor licenses from $5,000 to $7,500 per bar at an establishment to generate money for the city.
“We could potentially ensure that all APD officers have take-home vehicles and with this increased revenue, to put cameras in areas that have historical patterns of crime and violence specific to the Downtown area," Waites said.
The bill will go before the Atlanta Public Safety Committee Monday at 1 p.m. Waites said the goal is for a new law to be in effect by this New Year's Eve.