A Later Last Call at 4AM?
June 02, 2017 | By Jordan DeAngelo
On Wednesday, the California State Senate passed Senator Scott Wiener’s Senate Bill 384, which would allow bars to stay open for two more hours. SB 384 now heads to the State Assembly.
Known as LOCAL or Let Our Communities Adjust Late Night, the bill would permit local governments to extend the alcohol service hours for restaurant and bar establishments to a specific time between 2 am and 4 am. Local governments would be responsible for deciding how and where extended alcohol service hours would apply, and any decision that extends hours would be subject to the California Department of Beverage Control’s approval. The bill does not allow extended hours at liquor stores.
Leading up to the vote, the LOCAL Act drew significant support from the business community, with groups such as the Golden Gate Restaurant Association, San Francisco Chamber of Commerce, and Hotel Council SF. Many of these organizations argued that the bill would be a boon for California businesses in the food service, nightclub, and live music industries. According to Sharokina Shams of the California Restaurant Association, “California’s social and nightlife industries are already an economic driver for many California communities…SB 384 provides a clear potential for economic growth.”
The LOCAL Act would allow San Francisco to have the opportunity to join other major cities such as Chicago, New York City, and Atlanta in having extended alcohol service hours.
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Photograph by Mitch Rosen