Last Call!
Omaha prepares for 2 a.m. closing time
Two a.m., and the living is easy. At least that is the hope of Mayor Jim Suttle, the Omaha City Council and many service industry professionals as Omaha rings in its new 2 a.m. last call ordinance this Thursday. Omaha joins over two-thirds of the nation with a 2 a.m. last call for alcohol, as the ordinance was unanimously approved by the Omaha City Council on June 22. The ordinance does not extend the hours for package sale, allowing for on-site sales only from 1 a.m. to 2 a.m. Reactions from bar owners, bar patrons, and bartenders vary widely throughout the city, as do plans for extended hours.
“It’s tough – as someone who goes out, I think it’s great, but as someone who works in the bartending industry, I think it stinks,” said Ross DiPrima, a manager and bartender at Jimi D’s at Aksarben.
“A lot of the people in the service industry have strong opinions about this because we are affected by it. It affects our work life, but also many people who work in the service industry are people who go out and patronize restaurants and bars,” said DiPrima. Jimi D’s will extend their closing time to 2 a.m. on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays, and other days will likely be determined by demand over time.
“We look at it as a legal change that the city needed,” said Alex Diimig, a bartender at Jake’s in Benson. Jake’s will be staying open until 2 a.m. seven nights a week, but will not offer any drink specials for the 1 a.m. hour. “We never rip anybody off, so we don’t need a special,” said Diimig. However, in honor of the ordinance going into effect, the bar will offer all drinks at half price at 1 a.m. this Thursday.
The extra hour may provide the local music scene with an additional hour for entertainment, but many venues say they will not change their show times. Both the Waiting Room and the Barley Street Tavern in Benson will continue to end their shows around 12:45 a.m., although both bars intend to stay open until 2 a.m. on show nights.
Local musician and bartender Kyle Harvey says the extra hour will go to good use at the Barley Street Tavern. “It will give people an opportunity to hang out with their friends and wind down from the show,” he said. “The bands will have an opportunity to network with their fans and their audience.”
Those looking for music into the wee hours will likely be rewarded at any of the local dance and DJ parties thrown at clubs around the city. “Loom will definitely have music until 2 a.m.,” said DJ Brent Crampton of his monthly dance party thrown at España Tapas Bar.
Crampton feels the change puts Omaha in line with other entertainment districts around the country. “There is always a moment of embarrassment when I would bring an artist to town, and the question would always come around to what time does the bar close. That was always tough to tell people 1 a.m. I am happy that will be alleviated,” he said.
“When I have been in other cities, what I notice is, people just go out later,” said Crampton of the 2 a.m. closing time. “As a DJ, I have seen 10:30 is the magic number, in terms of what time people go out. A year from now, it will be pushed back to 11:30,” he predicted.
In addition to the monthly Loom parties, Crampton DJs at two popular late-night bars, Sake Bombers Lounge in the Old Market and Loft 610 at Midtown Crossing. Both bars will extend their closing time and music until 2 a.m. on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays.
“It is going to be hard on my employees,” said Anthony Hitchcock, owner of Sake Bombers Lounge and Red Lounge. These two locations will stay open late on the weekends, but the company’s restaurants Blue Sushi and Roja will not extend their hours. “It’s hard for me to expect my people to work another hour, when they already work very, very hard. It’s not a money issue, we’re not trying to make more money off an extra hour of liquor sales, but we will accommodate our customers with the new closing time on the weekends.”
“It’s definitely something that people from out-of-town are interested in and expect, a later closing time,” said Mike Miller, general manager of Parliament Pub. Parliament will stay open until 2 a.m. at both of their locations Wednesdays through Saturdays.
“This is something we’ve been looking forward to,” said Miller. “We’re excited for it. Our employees may not be super pumped about it, another hour of craziness, but we are ready for it. Their stamina will be tested,” he said.
Rob Williams, manager of the Shark Club, sees the change as a positive for the community. “We have many hotel guests as customers,” said Williams. “For years I have watched them drive to Iowa because they are accustomed to later closing times. If Omaha stays open until 2 a.m., and people are not careening off to Iowa and careening back into town, it is better for everyone. We don’t foresee any problems because our entire staff is TIPS trained. We know how to cut people off without conflict, we know to provide people with food, or call a cab if they need it.”