Regulated Industries explains its 3 a.m. reform
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Last week, we reported on the proposed city ordinance change that could revoke your favorite bar's 3 a.m. liquor license. The changes include raising the gross annual sales requirement from $100,000 to $250,000.
Jim Hess, co-owner of Dave's Stagecoach in Westport, said the changes would cost jobs and money. Some of commentors were upset that the changes included an exemption for bars in downtown entertainment districts (i.e., Power & Light)
Since then, we've been able to talk with Gary Majors, who manages the city's Regulated Industries Division.
Majors says Regulated Industries' goal hasn't changed: Get convention dollars.
"The idea is keeping with the initial intent of the ordinance and making it where we don't necessarily want to keep the 3 a.m. bars as little mom-and-pops in neighborhoods," Major says.
A compromise was reached on the requirements for maintaining a 3 a.m. license, as well as adding a six-month probation. Majors says service industry representatives who had input on the changes included Lew's owner Chris Lewellen, representatives of the Greater Kansas City Restaurant Association and representatives from Crossroads businesses. They worked on the changes with Councilwoman Cindy Circo.
A bar that's been cited for serving underage drinkers, for example, would have to ask its neighbors for permission to keep its 3 a.m. license six months after the violation. If the neighbors refused, Regulated Industries could revoke the license.
"Ninety percent won't have a problem," Majors says. "But let's say you have a place with excessive amounts of violence over those six months or has totally changed the way a neighborhood is. Then this office can determine you didn't meet the probation. Now we'll go in and say you need to make changes and give them a chance. With giving the neighbors a say and making new bars live up to the promises they make before they open ... it kind of makes everyone live up to what they're supposed to be doing."
Majors did name some bars where trouble helped provoke the proposed change. He called out Skybox (the now closed River Market bar) and Club NV (recently closed 45 days after a series of violent altercations).
"It [NV] had security guards shooting at people, bouncer stompings, and when they were getting ready to close, often times there's 10 to 20 police officers down there," Majors says. "Sometimes we have to take administrative action and, in rare circumstances, revocation. This ordinance gives us firmer footing to stand on if it gets to that point. Most of the time, bar owners get it right, make changes and reach a good compromise with the neighborhood."
Majors expects that, despite Hess's protestations, his bar will be fine -- even if he's not making the minimum cash now.
"Dave's numbers are such he's within a couple thousand of making it [the gross income]," he says. "If he sells 50 or 60 bucks a night more, he'll be fine. The truth of the matter is, how much convention business does Dave's cater to? I've been told it is mostly a local crowd, mostly the regulars, that don't get into the Westport thing. Then again, I can turn you on to quite a few home associations that say there shouldn't be any 3 a.m. bars, so this is really trying to strike a balance."
It's also still possible the gross annual income requirements could be changed before the ordinance is amended.
"The point is, if you serve liquor long enough, there's going to be an issue. What we look for is a place where it happens time in and time out or where it's handled improperly time in and time out."
To read the proposed ordinance changes, go here.
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