The City Council voted Tuesday to revoke a voluntary drink special restriction that sparked controversy and even an antitrust lawsuit in recent months.
Without any discussion or debate, the council agreed to remove all drink special restrictions affecting three bars in the campus area. Hawk's Bar, 425 State St., Regent Street Retreat, 1206 Regent St., and King Club at 114 King St. will no longer be required to stop offering drink specials at their establishments.
The drink special bans came under heavy fire for failing to curb excessive drinking or violence, and the three bars under the bans were presented with an antitrust lawsuit March 24.
\Studies have shown that there was actually an increase in violence while the drink special ban was in effect,"" said Ald. Mike Verveer, District 4. ""Besides, it's unfair that only a small group of campus-area bars should suffer under these special regulations.""
Ryan Johnson, the general manager of Regent Street Retreat and The Annex, said the ban on drink specials did not allow his business to effectively compete with other bars in the area without restrictions.
Also, Johnson said the bans increased the amount of students who went to house parties instead of bars, which he argues is unsafe.
""We're not going to let people get obliterated at a bar. At least at a bar, you're drinking supervised,"" Johnson said.
In response to the Alcohol License Review Committee's proposed citywide ban on drink specials after midnight, Johnson said that students would merely drink harder and faster. Instead, he said he believes police should work with bars to disperse crowds and keep the peace at bar time.
Many students and workers view the city's efforts to curb violence by banning alcohol as futile. Jacob Slaby, the head bartender at State Bar and Grill, 118 State St., said he believes the city should focus less on bars and more on other party scenes.
""It's a college community. People are going to drink no matter what. Focus on regulating house parties, not the bars,"" he said.
According to Verveer, the City Council plans to lift the restrictions on three more bars at a future meeting.
