Could happy hour return to Mt. Prospect bars?
Bar owners in Mount Prospect are likely to be happy with the village's plan to lift restrictions on happy hour in the wake of recent action in Springfield.
In July, Gov. Bruce Rauner signed legislation ending Illinois' 1989 ban on happy hour promotions.
Mount Prospect, which has had similar rules in place even longer, appears ready to follow suit.
Village trustees, meeting as a committee of the whole Tuesday, voiced support for a staff recommendation to allow the return of happy hour.
Trustee Colleen Saccotelli pointed out that the village has been looking for ways to encourage commuters to spend time in Mount Prospect.
"I think it's great to have our current working population stick around for a little bit and maybe stay for dinner," she said. "I see it as a great opportunity for the town and for potential residents to be interested in Mount Prospect. So I'm glad that we are pursuing this."
The new state rules limit happy hour promotions to a total of 15 hours per week for each establishment, with a maximum of four hours per day.
In a memo to the village board, Police Chief Tim Janowick said that since the state last allowed happy hours in the late 1980s, people have become more aware of the need for moderation or designated drivers.
Mayor Arlene Juracek said the village has provisions to deal with bars that overserve customers, including possible action by the liquor commissioner.
"We have a lot of checks and balances built in to make sure that we don't have inappropriate service or inappropriate consequences," she said.
Trustees said lifting the village's restrictions would help local restaurants and bars compete with those in neighboring communities,
"The owners know their business. And they know what they want to do with their business. And they should have the right to decide what they want to do with their business, instead of having different rules between communities that might restrict someone next to you," Trustee Steven Polit said. "The business owners should be allowed to decide what they want to do with their happy hours."
Business owners and managers who attended Tuesday's meeting said they would be receptive to the new rules and appreciated the level playing field with other communities.
"This is like a marketing tool," said Spiro Kondos of Draft Picks. "I don't think it's going to increase the consumption of alcohol. We're obviously going to offer food as well. But if other people are doing it, we as well should be able to do that."
"We don't want to give away anything. But if they are going to go down the street to Elk Grove, I want to keep that customer base," Jim Pappas from Paps Ultimate Bar & Grill added.