Creative game-day specials are back on the menu for St. Albert bars and restaurants after recent changes to happy hour limits.
The Alberta Gaming and Liquor Commission announced two weeks ago it was removing the 8 p.m. limit on happy hours.
The limit was imposed in 2008, along with two other policies aimed at making drinking establishments safer for patrons and staff: minimum drink price and a limit on the number of drinks ordered and possessed after 1 a.m.
While the two other policies remain in place, the AGLC found the happy hour policy to be ineffective in limiting consumption “therefore was eliminated.”
“It’s pretty cool that AGLC on its own recognized, after consulting with stakeholders and licencees, that it was a bit of an odd (rule) where the timing was falling,” said Jesse Kupina, co-owner of Central Social Hall in St. Albert and a member of the Alberta Safer Bars Council.
The policy change allows owners and managers to be more creative with their pricing structure, said Troy Marchak, owner and operator of the Crown & Tower in St. Albert.
Under the 8 pm. limit, restaurants, bars and pubs had to end happy hour drink specials at 8 p.m., offer reduced-price drinks all day or not offer them at all.
Now, drinking establishments are free to offer discounts specifically during evening sporting events if they choose.
While Marchak doesn’t see himself changing his 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. happy hour, saying the all-day reduced price is something his customers really enjoy, he is excited about the game-day promotion possibilities.
“Say the Eskimos scored a touchdown, for a short time period you could drop the price on a jug of beer, then bring it back up,” he said. “Back in the day, I did have those types of game-day promotions. I’ll be going back to those fun things to do around pricing.”
The policy change will help drinking establishments, like The Beer Hunter, better market sporting events, said marketing and event co-ordinator Diandra Schmidt.
“We’re a big UFC pub,” she said. “But UFC doesn’t even start until 8 p.m., so if we wanted to have a UFC feature we were never able to before.”
In a statement the AGLC said it did not anticipate a spike in heavy drinking or violence due to the policy change, but indicated that excessive alcohol consumption and behaviours such as binge drinking and pre-drinking remain an ongoing concern in Alberta.
Marchak said it has always been the onus of the serving staff, management and security personnel to ensure the safety of patrons. Although he doesn’t anticipate any problems with the happy hour changes, Marchak said staff would remain diligent.
Prices still have to comply with minimum drink pricing set out by the AGLC.
