Staggering Toward 3 a.m. Bars?
Staggered closing times, Jim Evans says, already happen in Lower Queen Anne. "The bars close between 1:30 and 2 a.m. and everyone staggers home," he says laughing.
Evans, 38, has lived in Seattle for 12 years. He's not much of a closing-time drinker anymore. But when he is, he'd have no problem with the bar staying open a bit later.
There's always this mad rush at last call, he says. Maybe people would relax a bit if there was somewhere else to go. Or maybe they'd just sit and have a glass of water, he says. "And then, when they get outside, they'd probably just walk home, you know, limit the damage."
Evans was responding to an idea Seattle officials floated recently about staggering bar closure times to make streets safer and late-night law enforcement easier.
To a degree staggered times already exist, just not in regulation. Typically, late-night Seattle bars make last call anywhere between 1 a.m. and 1:50 a.m. I'm a part owner of the Streamline Tavern in Lower Queen Anne. Because it's a small place, we do last call bit later than nearby clubs because it's easy to clear people out in time.
But would we stay open until 3 a.m. if allowed? I'm not sure. Many bars would jump at the chance to make a bit more money - particularly is there is a neighborhood disparity in closing time. The only 3 a.m. bar in certain small sections of Belltown would do well.
In Ravenna, it probably wouldn't matter a bit.
Much of the proposal isn't yet clear. What are the eligibility criteria? Is it simply a pricier liquor license? Does it mean open but no booze service? City Attorney Pete Holmes has indicated he will put specifics any staggered time proposal -- if one ever really gets floated.
Seattle isn't the only place considering this way of disgorging drunks in waves rather than all at once. City officials in Providence, Rhode Island, have considered it. As have Portland political leaders. A version of this already is done in Scotland with pubs closing at midnight and "nightclubs" open until 3 a.m. or 4 a.m.
And Las Vegas, of course, is a 24/7 drinkathon.
Expect considerable debate on this one, both from neighborhoods that don't want late(r) drinking to bar owners -- some of whom are happy with the exit of former City Attorney Tom Carr - now angry at Holmes if the licenses are not granted fairly.
As Evans says, "Bars will stay open as long as the seats are filled -- if you let them."
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