Ronald Reagan was still president the last time Massachusetts restaurants and bars celebrated “happy hour.”
State Rep. Mike Connolly, D-Middlesex, has included a provision to bring back “happy hour” in a bill that would also extend some policies enacted during the pandemic, such as outdoor dining and cocktails to go. He presented his bill to the Joint Committee on Consumer Protection and Professional Licensure this week.
The ban was enacted in response to several drunk driving incidents in 1984. And while other states reinstituted happy hour, Massachusetts did not.
Connolly said “the culture has changed” and patrons have more options such as ride-sharing to make sure they don’t get behind the wheel intoxicated.
The issue has come up a few times over the years and most restaurant operators are against the reinstatement of “happy hour,” according to Bob Luz, president and CEO of the Massachusetts Restaurant Association.
One restaurant owner said, “I don’t see how selling alcohol at cost helps me recover from the pandemic,” Luz told the panel.
The MRA is in favor of the other provisions of Connolly’s bill.
“We know the federal restaurant relief fund fell short on some of its promises despite the best of intentions,” Connolly told the committee. “To my knowledge, about 70% of restaurants received no funding at all through that program.”
Luz confirmed that about two-thirds of restaurants did not receive any funding from the federal relief fund and are still struggling from the shutdowns and limited dining options.
In a recent survey, 64% of operators said that sales were lower in August 2021 than in August 2019, according to Luz. About 90% said their food costs were higher while 82% say requests for indoor dining are declining.
Sen. Ed Kennedy, D-Middlesex, asked Luz about labor shortages.
“It’s an operator-to-operator question,” Luz said, acknowledging that some restaurants have limited hours because of staffing shortages.
Another challenge is the slow return to the office in some of the state’s larger cities.
As for “happy hour,” the issue could appear on the 2022 ballot if the legislature does not agree to reinstate it. Attorney General Maura Healey gave the go-ahead for a petition drive led by attorney Nick Silveira. Massachusetts law requires petitioners to gather signatures that amount to 3.5% of the votes cast in the last gubernatorial race. The deadline to submit those signatures is Dec. 1, according to Rep. Tackey Chan, who chairs the committee.
