- Bainbridge Public Safety suggested rolling back liquor sales to the city council to reduce excessive drinking as a safety measure.
- There are two after-hour bars. One bar owner says cutting back on liquor sale hours will hurt the business.
- Watch the story to learn more about what led to the discussion and why some say this will be bad for business.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT
I'm AJ Douglas in Bainbridge where local bars could be asked to tap out sooner than they'd like if the city decides to roll back the liquor sales curfew.
SOT: Marni Gamboa,co-owner, Nick's bar
"It will impact us. Our sales will go down."
Imagine getting a phone call with a chance to own a bar.. With your mom.
SOT: Melissa Gerberich co-owner, Nick's bar
"She calls and [says] want to buy a bar? I say sure. She calls me back ten or fifteen minutes later and says we're bar owners."
That phone call was just one month ago.
Now Public Safety is suggesting a stricter curfew on liquor sales.
By changing the now 2:30 a.m. sale cut-off to 12:30 a.m.
During the most recent city council meeting I attended the city manager introduced the possibility of the change.
SOT Roy Oliver, city manager/NAT (OCTOBER CITY COUNCIL MEETING)
"Officers are spending resources patrolling bar area which also involves over time hours."
The mother-daughter duo Marni Gamboa and Melissa Gerberich say it's put their business plans in jeopardy.
SOT: Marni Gamboa,co-owner, Nick's bar
"Dealing with Friday and Saturday which are usually the busiest nights. Those are the nights that we stay open until 2 am… It will impact us."
Gamboa says since other bars close at midnight her business received that same overflow of customers who aren't quite ready to end the night since their bar is open two others later.
But if they can't sell alcohol..
"We'll lose a lot of those people," said Gamboa.
Local police brought the rollback to the city council in hopes of reducing nuisance calls.
Chief of Police Redell Walton released a statement,
"The department's position is that moving the sales time to midnight would reduce excessive drinking and alcohol-related incidents."
Both owners say they understand the stance for safety but suggest a method that will not disturb sales.
Marni Gamboa,co-owner, Nick's bar
"I understand where they are coming from but we have to come up with another solution that helps with that."
Gerberich says they plan to continue making upgrades in hopes of bringing in pool leagues, bonfires, and expanding food options but an alcohol cut-off could stop potential engagement.
Melissa Gerberich co-owner, Nick's bar
"If we get our hours cut, that's going to be so much harder to do because you are putting time limits on everything."
The city council is asking people in the community to share their thoughts on if the liquor sales curfew should be changed.
The next city council meeting is November 19.
