Some bars to stay open until 4 a.m. during DNC
A bill to grant Philadelphia-area hotels, restaurants, bars, and other venues a four-day reprieve from Pennsylvania's strict liquor laws during the convention was signed into law by Gov. Wolf Wednesday.
It's official. Some bars in Philadelphia will stay open until 4 a.m. for the Democratic National Convention.
A bill to grant Philadelphia-area hotels, restaurants, bars, and other venues a four-day reprieve from Pennsylvania's strict liquor laws during the convention was signed into law by Gov. Wolf Wednesday.
Bars staying open later than the normal 2 a.m. must apply for special permits and only establishments hosting convention-related events can obtain the permits.
The host committee will receive applications (available on their website) and forward a list of bars and restaurants confirmed to the PA liquor board for final approval, said host committee spokeswoman Anna Adams-Sarthou.
A full list of bars staying open late will be posted on the liquor control board website.
"It's a great thing for hotels, waiters and waitresses, to make a little bit of extra money during the convention and it's also good for the guest experience," said Ed Grose, Executive Director of the Greater Philadelphia Hotel Association.
Adams-Sarthou said she is not aware of a limit on permits but that the committee would stick to venues hosting DNC events.
So putting C-SPAN on TV to host a watch party dosen't count (though Adams-Sarthou said the committee encourages bars to do that).
There is no cost to businesses to apply for the permit.
Convention activity typically doesn't wrap until about 11 p.m. each night leaving only a few hours for delegates to hit bars and restaurants.
The city kept bars open until 4 a.m. during the Republican National Convention in 2000.
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