Bar hour extension improves business

Jun 17 2009 - 3:14pm | Sajen Claxton-Hernandez

Later bar hours means more revenue.

Ten local bars were issued permits allowing the sale of alcohol until 2 a.m. last month. The change has already affected the business and atmosphere of local bars.

Matt McClendon, manager at Sean Patrick’s, said there has been an increase in sales since they received their permit.

“We have two more hours to sell,” said McClendon. “The numbers are going up.”

Adam Duntley, bartender at Rocky Larue’s, said they have seen improved business as well as a change in rush times. He said they previously saw a large rush toward the last hour of business before the extension.

“Instead of us getting a rush all at once, it’s spread out throughout the course of the night,” Duntley said. “Now, it’s kind of a steady flow versus one big rush of students.”

McClendon agreed.

“We used to get kind of a really big rush,” McClendon said. “Now, it’s more like a slow trickle effect because people don’t have to rush to the bars.”

McClendon said he does not feel like he is getting busy as abruptly as he was before the extension.

“It’s not as wild as it was,” McClendon said. “It’s actually not what I expected at all.”

The city considered a number of issues when voting to extend the bar hours including a possible increase in violence and drunk driving.

Chase Stapp, nightwatch commander for the San Marcos Police Department, said they have not seen a drastic change in the number of calls because of the extended bar hours as of yet.

“So far, we haven’t noticed a huge increase in problems,” Stapp said.  “(However), it is very early in terms of how long this has been going on.”

Some city officials speculated later bar hours may lead to a decrease in disorderly conduct in neighborhoods by keeping late-night drinkers in a centralized area for longer. Stapp said he has not noticed a change in neighborhoods yet.

“It’s too early to tell how that is going to impact our disorderly conduct and noise-type calls away from The Square,” Stapp said. “We’re really just waiting to see how it’s going to impact us when the full student population (returns).

Duntley agreed they will have to readjust for the fall.

“There’s going to be a big spike in business when the students return for the fall semester,” he said.

Stapp said now is not the time to judge the call volume police receive.

“A lot of students are out of town for the summer,” he said. “I think August will be a better judge of how this will affect our call volume.”

Both McClendon and Duntley said they have not seen an increase in violence or disorderly conduct in their bars since the extension.

McClendon said they putt extra people at the door and around the floor just in case.

“We haven’t had any problems,” McClendon said. “When people get a little too drunk, we just cut them off and send them on their way.”

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