Should Mass. Bring Back the Happy Hour at Bars and Restaurants?

Happy hours at bars and restaurants in Massachusetts have not been allowed for decades when restrictions were passed to cut down on the amount of drinking and driving.

On Aug. 21, the state Alcoholic Beverages Control Commission is holding a hearing in Boston to gather public feedback on bringing back happy hours. The casino bill passed last year requires the ABCC to complete a study by Jan. 31 of whether the state happy hour law, which currently restricts daily or hourly discounts on alcoholic drinks, should be updated or amended according to a story in the Boston Herald.

John Grasso, president of the Halfway Cafe chain of six restaurants including a Watertown location, told the Herald that he would like to see restaurants have the same rules as casinos.

“Do I want to go back to the days of two-for-ones and happy hour? No, not really, but in terms of competitive advantage, that should be up to the individual operators’ discretion,” Grasso said. “Our industry is under siege, and (free drinks at casinos) is just another nail in the coffin. There is an unfair playing advantage with that.”

In Watertown, the town's Licensing Board rules specifically prohibit happy hours. The Licensing Board rules state:

No licensee or employee or agent of a licensee shall sell, offer to sell, or deliver to any person or group of persons any drinks at a price less than the price regularly charged for such during the same calendar week, except at private functions not open to the public.

What do you think about bringing back happy hours? Are you in favor? Should the ban stay? Tell us in the comment section below.