July 16, 2016
As NewsWorks reported Thursday, Philadelphia drinking establishments can now apply to have their bars stay open past 2 a.m. for the Democratic National Convention, which runs from July 25-28. The measure that allows for bars to do this passed as part of a revenue package signed by Gov. Tom Wolf Wednesday.
PhillyMag noted Friday that the application for hotels, restaurants and bars to serve alcohol past normal closing time during the event are now live on the convention's website. But as Newsworks pointed out, it's not just any bar that can capitalize and stay open until 4 a.m. under the temporarily-amended liquor code. Only bars hosting an official DNC event can try for the extended hours.
Related: Navigating the 2016 Democratic National Convention: A guide to Philly's next major event
Per NewsWorks:
"If you're like Ed's Bar in Fairmount, chances are, you're not going to be able to do it," said Ed Grose, spokesman for the Greater Philadelphia Hotel Association.
The one-time special permit will cost convention planners $5,000, but there is no expense for the benefiting restaurants and bars. All permits the DNC approves after the first one will come at no cost.
DNC officials are still figuring out what businesses will be included in the permit application, but more than a dozen hotels around Center City are expected to be included in the initial permit, according to Grose.
If you're a hotel, restaurant or bars owner that can get a convention planner to throw a party at your place for when the Democratis come to town, the deadline to apply is midnight on Monday, July 18, so you'll have to act fast.
An FAQ sheet about the application is here, and the applications for a permit can be found here.
And now, for no other reason than to get the song stuck in your head for the rest of the day, here's "Closing Time" by Semisonic.
