ATLANTA — Have you heard the expression "nothing good happens after midnight?"
The City of Atlanta is ready to test that the week of the Super Bowl. The Atlanta City Council passed an ordinance allowing bars and restaurants with a liquor license to serve until 4 a.m. for a short time period.
In the ordinance that passed unanimously on August 20, businesses licensed to sell alcohol that is consumed on site can keep pouring until 4 a.m. between January 28, 2019 and February 4, 2019. This is an extension of the typical 2:30 a.m. cut off during the week and at midnight on Sundays.
Super Bowl 53 will be at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Sunday February 3, 2019.
Without this ordinance, bars would have been forced to stop selling alcohol at midnight on the Super Bowl.
Bars in downtown Atlanta are predicting a big financial win the week of the big game.
"For us it's great, hearing we can stay open til 4:00 a.m. with all of the guests who will be in town that week. It's going to be a really good thing that week," STATS General Manager Tim Gates said to 11Alive's Kaitlyn Ross.
He said they're bracing for the rush of people who will be in town.
"For that week at least, with so many people in town, it will be hours wait to get in anywhere. So the longer we can stay open, the more gusts we can serve," he said.
When Minneapolis hosted the Super Bowl last year, they let bars stay open til 4:00 a.m., too, but they had to file for a special permit. Atlanta Police said they're already planning to work around the clock, so the later times won't change their protection plan.
On 11Alive's Facebook page some people were worried about public safety and drunk driving but Gates says as long as people celebrate responsibly, the 4:00 a.m. pour should be a win/win.
