‘Happy Hour’ bill making its way through NC General Assembly
NEW HANOVER COUNTY, NC (WWAY) — Bars in North Carolina could soon be planning their first Happy Hour specials in nearly 40 years.
House Bill 94 is making its way through the General Assembly. It would allow businesses that serve alcohol to have specials at certain hours of the day. For example, bars could serve $2 beers from 4 pm to 6 pm to bring people in during slow hours — instead of offering a special all day, which is currently what is allowed.
“Our organization the NCBOA feels like it would be very beneficial for both the state and ourselves to have this bill. It would allow Happy Hour for the first time since 1986,” Jason Ruth said.
Jason Ruth owns Tinyz Tavern in Ogden and is the executive director of the North Carolina Bar Owners Association. The association has been lobbying for the bill to pass. Ruth says it would be huge for bar owners.
“Getting rid of these antiquated laws and actually moving forward with doing things that are modern now. We’re one of eight states without happy hour so that would be enormous,” Ruth said.
In the past, Happy Hour has raised concerns about binge drinking and an increase of DUIs. Downtown at The Eagle’s Dare, owner Joe Apkarian disagrees with these claims.
“If you actually look at states that have Happy Hour laws versus states like ours that don’t and DUI correlation, it’s in favor of states that have Happy Hour specials,” Apkarian said. “People are like, oh hey, I want to go have a cheap drink at The Eagle’s Dare and then I’m going to go home. It’s actually helping to not promote binge drinking because you’re like, yep I’m done. Especially in the current state of the economy right? People want a good deal.”
For those who want to hang past Happy Hour and pay a little more, Apkarian says it means more money for the bars and more taxes that can be paid to the state.
The bill would also allow restaurants to have a combined alcoholic beverage and meal special for a certain price and for bars to advertise specials and brands outside of their establishments, neither of which are currently allowed.
