Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I'm actually surprised that even in NYC there are bars that can make money that early without selling food.
.
It's a lot easier for them to make money selling only alcohol. Liquor in particular. Considering how incredibly high rent and a liquor license is in NYC, the additional cost of being open for a few hours a day is negligible when you are not serving any food. So in many cases you might as well be open!
I've always lived where there are both types of bars - those that serve food and those that don't, but usually do have nuts and chips in bags.
Serving food actually costs a business more money in salaries, benefits, etc., because you have to pay someone to make the food and manage the kitchen and clean it up - and they have to pass health code inspections, etc.
The money is in the booze. If all you serve are chips and nuts in bags - you eliminate all of the above and just focus on the huge profits in selling booze only, without needing to comply with food service regulations, more salaries, etc.
Bars that are alcohol-only still get health inspections and pay for permits to operate. They still wash glasses and dishes and need to comply with the food code regarding that. Plenty of stuff from the FDA wanting them to wash glassware properly, in addition to hand washing and bare hand contact (things like slicing lemons, fruit peels, etc). Lots of things in the food code regarding facility quality such as pest control, plumbing for mop sinks and soda machines. Health inspections are a combination of food (ice and beverages are included in the food) + equipment + employees + facilities.
Anyway, there are plenty of bars in my city that are alcohol-only. But it really depends on what part of town you are in. Much more in Midtown and Downtown and in Tempe that are alcohol-only in comparison to say, Peoria.
I prefer that a bar be alcohol only. Bars should be a place for people to meet and mate, either that night or eventually after some dates. Food doesn't help that.
I like NYC's model on that and would like that my area be more like that.
The Food to Alcohol ratio of 25/75% (or something like that). If they don't meet the 25% food sales, they have to reduce their hours open (to server alcohol) until the the 25/75 is meet.
They are audited once or twice a year, on there percentages.
I prefer that a bar be alcohol only. Bars should be a place for people to meet and mate, either that night or eventually after some dates. Food doesn't help that.
I like NYC's model on that and would like that my area be more like that.
Agreed. I also don't like that it makes me hungry too soon when I smell all that food. In NYC there are places to eat even at 4AM so getting food afterward is not an issue.
The trashy bars where people only go to get drunk, are usually alcohol only. These are normally the ones where you hear about fights breaking out.
The bars that cater to an older crowd that have more money will usually serve food.
I don't find there to be any correlation. Nothing trashy about going to a bar to get drunk, that's kind of the point.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
