West Frankfort taverns prepare for extended weekend hours
</element><element id="paragraph-1" type="body"><![CDATA[Level playing field. Keeping up with the Joneses. Those guys are doing it. All are frequently given phrases a business owner or entity will spew forth when making changes or additions to the previous norm. But, when all the clutter clears, most decisions represent opportunity. And those opportunities most times come down to financial opportunities.
Tuesday's decision by the West Frankfort City Council to extend the hours taverns are allowed to remain open will do just that - provide financial opportunity. The council, in its meeting voted 4-1 to allow taverns to remain in business until 2 a.m. on two business days - Friday and Saturday - for a 30-day trial period with a possibility of becoming a permanent measure.
Tavern owners have approached the council in the past only to be denied but Tuesday's decision, from a business standpoint, makes sense for those operating locally.
Surrounding communities, such as Benton, Johnston City, Zeigler, Carbondale, Murphysboro, Orient, Christopher, Herrin and Buckner, are all allowed to keep the lights on and the spirits flowing until 2 a.m.
Marion permits its taverns to remain open until 1 a.m.
"I appreciate that the council listened to our concerns and took action to help our small businesses. It's refreshing to have elected officials that listen and have an open mind," said Andrew Smart, co-owner of the Casino Tavern, along with Bob Whittington, who was present at Tuesday's Council meeting.
Another concern for Smart and other owners was added competition.
Smart said since he became owner of the Casino, liquor licenses have been added at The Getaway Bar & Grill, Casey's General Store, Logan Street Liquors, Mad Pricer, LaFiesta, BP-One Stop and K-Mart.
"There has been a lot of added competition since we opened our location," Smart noted. "That added competition has created a vital need for us to keep pace and allow for growth."
"During our normal hours we would lose business near the end of the night. Our patrons would leave and travel to a community that allows its bars to stay open later. That made some of our most valuable hours harder to optimize, he said.
Bob Colyer, owner/operator of Colyer's 212 Lounge, was also present at the meeting and was in agreement with Smart. Colyer said the extended hours will have impact on the city's safety and financial picture.
"It will definitely help keep the streets safer," said Colyer. "At about a quarter after 11 p.m. every Friday and Saturday, customers start discussing where they are going after we close at midnight. Now, there will be less chances for the possibility of accidents."
Colyer went on to add that the additional business created during these peak hours will go a long way toward keeping his tavern afloat, all while helping to replenish city coffers through the generation of tax dollars.
"We are extremely thankful that the measure passed and to the council members that supported it. We don't how much longer we would have been able to stay in business had the council voted against it. It will be a tremendous boost to business, and it will also mean more tax revenue for the city."
A limited selection of entertainment at the taverns was also at the forefront of the various issues presented by Smart. Most local and area entertainment, such as musical groups, prefer to schedule themselves from 9 p.m. until 1 a.m. "It really limited our selection of entertainment we were able to schedule in an effort to attract more business," Smart commented.
With these new hours for the taverns, inventory will dissipate more quickly, meaning West Frankfort stands to make revenue gains in tax. Also, with inventories shrinking at a quicker pace, local businesses will have the opportunity to make capital gains.
"There was lost revenue for the city in the form of taxes and local businesses were also losing opportunities at more revenue," Smart said. "A core value of our operation is to almost exclusively use local services, wholesalers, retailers and contractors. The more business we do, the more business they do."
According to a recent national survey, 5,000 bars closed their doors last year.
"The bar industry has become more competitive," Smart noted. "We need to keep pace. We employ seven Franklin County residents. This more secure business environment makes those jobs more appealing and secure for our employees."