Cheers! Some bars and restaurants offer late-night happy hours
Happy Hour doesn’t have to be in the 4 to 6 or 5 to 7 p.m. time frame.
Some restaurants and bars offer later deals and specials to accommodate guests who prefer to drink and dine later in the evening, especially on weekends.
It also brings in business at times the places might not necessarily be busy.
Having a later happy hour works for JG’s Tarentum Station Grille in Tarentum, says evening manager Eric Ziencik. He says having $2 off alcoholic drinks and select food items from 7:30 to 8:30 p.m. Monday through Friday helps work around the dinner rush.
If people want to dine earlier, the bar is not as crowded. They can eat and then have a few drinks if they want. Those who want to eat later can have some drinks and then enjoy dinner.
“We can’t physically expand the restaurant, so this helps,” he says. “Before we changed the happy hour times, people would leave because it was too crowded in the bar. So we split the times.”
They also do 4:30-5:30 p.m. happy hour.
The Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board limits the length of happy hour times to four hours in one day and 14 total in a week.
At Dive Bar & Grille locations in Pittsburgh’s South Side and Lawrenceville neighborhoods, suburban Pine, as well as the newest spot in Regent Square, happy hour is from 9 to 11 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.
They call it a “reverse happy hour,” says Clint Kuskie, who co-owns the bars with Gordon Judge. There are drink specials and special pricing on appetizers.
“It helps us bring in more business, especially on Sunday night, which is usually a time when it’s not that busy,” Kuskie said. “Our customers really like the later times where they can get a good deal on food and drinks.”
At Sharky’s in Unity, Sunday Fundays are from 9 to 11 p.m. and feature half-off everything except pitchers and shots, as well as $5 select appetizers.
“We do it to give people who work in this industry a chance to experience a happy hour,” says manager Jonathan Heiple. “Most of them — chefs, waiters and waitresses, hostesses and bartenders — are usually working during normal happy hours.”
Mineo’s Pizza House in Squirrel Hill has a late-night happy hour from 9 to 10 p.m. Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday evenings. Patrons receive $2 off wine, beer and cocktails.
“Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays are slower days,” says Giovanni Mineo Jr., co-owner with his brother Dominic. “It helps to bring business in on those days. Plus, some customers work later, so this gives them an opportunity to enjoy a drink and some pizza or pasta a little later in the evening.”
JoAnne Klimovich Harrop is a TribLive reporter covering the region’s diverse culinary scene and unique homes. She writes features about interesting people. The Edward R. Murrow award-winning journalist began her career as a sports reporter. She has been with the Trib for 26 years and is the author of “A Daughter’s Promise.” She can be reached at jharrop@triblive.com.
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