Tuesday, October 25, 2011

Amherst SB: "Okay with that?"

23 comments:

Larry Kelley said...

Yeah, I'm sure that's who they are targeting. Nitwit.

It's ALREADY a rule, they just gave them permission to break it.

Gavin Andresen said...

Beer at 10AM? Blasphemy!

Everybody knows you drink mimosas or Irish coffee before noon.

Larry Kelley said...

Mr. Hayden was more in favor of tomato juice.

Anonymous said...

Give Hayden a Bloody Mary then.

Anonymous said...

Any idea why the boys and girls club closed? It really could have been a great place for kids to hang out downtown.

Larry Kelley said...

It did not close. Doing well.

Anonymous said...

I agree, Larry. Good post.

Larry Kelley said...

Thanks.

It will be interesting to see what happens when McMurphy's comes back before the illustrious Select Board this coming St. Patrick's Day for the same waiver.

Princess Stephanie did seem to indicate she would become the Wicked Witch of the West over THAT request.

Anonymous said...

As a business you apply for and purchase a liquor license that grants you the permission to sell alcohol. These businesses have the opportunity to maximize their profits, so I'm going to disagree with you that selling beer at 10a.m. is a "BS business model". It's actually what every other restaurant and pub business does as well.

The amount of money it takes to keep a bartender on an additional hour or two is less than the money they would be making during those hours selling the alcohol.

The bar purchased a liquor license and they're using it to their maximum benefit. Whoever is drinking at 10a.m. is going to start drinking either way, so the bar should take advantage of this and provide them with it.

It won't make a huge impact on the world, but can make a huge impact on their bottom line. If you think of it from this point of view then this actually might make sense to you.

Underage drinking at the bars is almost entirely out of the question because every bar has high-tech I.D. scanning equipment. The people entering the bars at this time are going to be older alumni and maybe some UMass students, but more likely than not the students will already be at McGuirk stadium tailgating.

Larry Kelley said...

Actually their license is good from 11:00 AM and I assume all the others in town are the same.

I find it hard to believe that one extra hour of selling booze can "make a huge impact on their bottom line."

Although if someone who has been out drinking all the previous night stops in for a couple of brews at 10:00 AM and then later kills someone on the roads, I would imagine the lawsuit would have a hell of an impact on their bottom line (and perhaps the town's as well).

Anonymous said...

I am sorry Larry you dont pose that strong of an argument here. Its funny how everyone who lives in this town acts like its the end of the world when "Umass" students acts out, I mean only "Umass students" act out....lets be practical now. Lets stop stereotyping, I am scared to think about what many of you on the SB did when you were their age. I am sorry but I've lived in this area for a while, my children have all attended to Umass(both highly successful). I was also once at employed at Umass, so I can say I also benefitted from the University.

To be completely honest, I find it utterly revolting to have students treated the way they are in Amherst. After working with students I found how upset they were because they felt blacklisted. Aside for the politics, and police, you do realize they are just enjoying there last few years of freedom. SO what is really the problem with the bar opening ONE HOUR EARLY? This establishment has been successful and respectful to this community for many decades. Return the favor Amherst!

You honestly think opening an hour later will change the amount of alcohol consumed? I am sorry but lets think BOTH clearly and rationally. If the towns people, select board, and law enforcement continue on there path of mistreating and degrading these students, they will either fight back, or worse they could stop enrolling. This will hurt all of our local businesses, schools, transportation etc. I know it is easy to point the finger at the students, bars, and alcohol (consumption), but maybe they are just reacting to our actions.
We need to support our town pride; our successful small businesses, and that the old town charm mixed with the NYC feel. Lastly, Lets not forget the great people that make up this vibrant, friendly, extraordinary place, that we call home.

>You need to give respect, to receive respect.<

Anonymous said...

You are not in the restaurant business, so to make the basis of your argument that one more hour of business wouldn't make a difference is ridiculous.

There is going to be a surplus of potential consumers coming to the Amherst area this one weekend. These bars make their money off of selling booze, so being allowed to sell their main source of revenue an additional hour could actually have great benefits to the business.

Kegs, bottled beer and alcohol are significantly cheaper when ordered in bulk by restaurants. Estimate they charge $8 a drink, if they sell 50 drinks in that one hour that's $400. The booze itself probably cost them $70 - $80 depending on if whether the 10 drinks were beer or hard alcohol. The bartender is paid $2.63 an hour. There are other things factored in so lets say the bar made $300 just in that one hour of operation. Short-term the business profits.

In the long-term these alumni coming for Homecoming weekend are seen as potential returning customers, as should all customers. Most customers will go to the tailgate but maybe later on they'll return back to that bar - because that's where they started the day. Or, next time they're back visiting the Amherst area they'll go back to that bar because they remember it from Homecoming weekend.

I value your point about drunk driving, but that can be applied at all hours of operation.

Larry Kelley said...

Well, I was in the health/fitness business for 28 years so...close enough.

One hour of extra business twice a year (the other time they do it is on St Patrick's Day weekend) is meaningless to their bottom line.

If you watch their testimony before the Select Board they admitted it was pretty much "marketing".

Sex sells. Pushing beer at 10:00 AM sells. And the two are most definitely connected.

I don't think the town should endorse that.

Anonymous said...

larry you are being such an idiot right here in this argument. I dont see what your point is or how it affects you. Its a Saturday morning it has no affect on you if a legally aged man has some beers an hour earlier on a morning in a weekend of celebration such as Alumni weekend. You yourself are and alumni and should know this weekend is for people like you to come and see old friends. An extra hour does nothing to affect you so would you just shut it. I have a question for you sir, is there anything that goes on in this town that you dont complain about or are you just completely against anyone in town having fun on your watch?

Anonymous said...

I can't stand business owners so greedy for a smidge more profit that they care nothing about ethics. I'm a business owner and routinely make decisions that hurt my bottom line when moving forward would compromise my principles.

Larry Kelley said...

Yeah, gotta wonder if the owners were petitioning to allow topless barmaids to stimulate business ("marketing") would the Select Board be okay with that?

Anonymous said...

I think I want to open a Hooters
Think Amherst will like that ? Good talent pool of help at Umass to draw from

Anonymous said...

Oops, sorry Larry. The clubs door has been locked during normal operating hours and the kids thought it was closed up. It would help if the hours were on the door if they changed them.

Anonymous said...

">You need to give respect, to receive respect.<"

When students are rioting, to whom are they showing respect.

Of course, not every student is out of control. Most are not. But that doesn't mean we look the other way when they riot.

How about we send them to your neighborhood to riot and then you come back here and tell us how we should lay off the students?

Anonymous said...

" have a question for you sir, is there anything that goes on in this town that you dont complain about or are you just completely against anyone in town having fun on your watch?"

Welcome to Amherst, my young friend. Meet Larry Kelley, our local grumpy old man, even though he's not yet old. Get used to it.

Anonymous said...

Grumpy? maybe..... Tool? definitely!

Anonymous said...

Larry, you sound like a miserable old fart. Maybe you would see the bright side of things more often if you started drinking at 10AM.

Larry Kelley said...

Been there, done that. The bright side very quickly turns a deep, dark, foreboding shade of gray.