LANCASTER, Pa. — Newly proposed legislation would allow bartenders to pour, mix and uncork drinks until 4 a.m., two hours past the 2 a.m. last call mandated by current Pennsylvania law.
Are customers ready to order another round?
“Yes I would, definitely [stay out until 4 a.m.]. It'll be better because there wouldn't be so many house parties and shootings. They would all be there,” said Lisa Lopez of Lancaster.
“I personally wouldn't stay out that late but I think in most parts of the world that's normal. They have later bar times,” said Lancaster resident Rick Lawrence.
Yorgos Restaurant in downtown Lancaster currently stays open every day until 2 a.m. Restaurant vice president Tony Katsaros said he would consider changing the restaurant’s hours if he saw a demand for it. He counted increased food and drink sales as one advantage of staying open another two hours, but said finding help to stay that late could be a challenge.
“I think it would be a big adjustment across the board, on both ends, employee side and customer side,” Katsaros said. “I think the whole scene would change. Going until 4 in the morning. I think people who go out earlier in the night wouldn't go out as early. They would go out later.”
Restaurant industry leaders, meanwhile, said the additional hours wouldn’t be much help to businesses struggling to reopen fully after the pandemic.
“We think there are other things that are probably more pressing, such as getting the mixed drinks to go permanent, such as increasing the liquor discount by 5 percent, such as looking as noise relief for certain bars,” said Chuck Moran, executive director of the Pa. Licensed Beverage and Tavern Association.
State Rep. Jordan Harris (D-Philadelphia) has said he plans to introduce the measure soon. Harris introduced a similar bill in 2015 that did not ultimately pass.