{"id":1963,"date":"2026-06-04T21:06:23","date_gmt":"2026-06-04T21:06:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bostonrelocationinsider.com\/?p=1963"},"modified":"2026-06-04T21:06:23","modified_gmt":"2026-06-04T21:06:23","slug":"cheers-mass-house-passes-proposal-to-extend-bar-hours-to-3-a-m-during-world-cup-putting-bill-on-fast-track","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bostonrelocationinsider.com\/?p=1963","title":{"rendered":"Cheers! Mass. House passes proposal to extend bar hours to 3 a.m. during World Cup, putting bill on fast track."},"content":{"rendered":"
\n
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Massachusetts\u2019 reputation for having infamously lackluster nightlife may be getting a shot at a rebrand, at least for the next two months.<\/span><\/p>\n

Read more Kennedy Center tells staff to immediately remove Trump\u2019s name from documents<\/a><\/p>\n

Democrats on Beacon Hill have fast-tracked a proposal that would allow communities across the state to temporarily extend last call for alcohol to as late as 3 a.m. and permit public drinking in designated districts.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Massachusetts House on Thursday unanimously passed the legislation, sending it to the state Senate, where the chamber\u2019s top Democrat has already expressed her support for pushing last call later as the region prepares to host a series of World Cup matches. The Senate could hold its own vote on the bill as early as next week.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

The legislation, first filed by state Representative Carole A. Fiola, would enable \u2014 but not require \u2014 bars and restaurants with liquor licenses to sell alcohol an additional hour past current closing times, starting Mondaythrough July 31, albeit with the blessing of local licensing boards. <\/span><\/p>\n

House lawmakers scaled the language back from the original bill, which had proposed allowing the later last call through Aug. 31.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cSummer 2026 presents a unique opportunity for Massachusetts,\u201d Fiola, a Fall River Democrat, told lawmakers ahead of their vote Thursday. \u201cWhile we may refer to it as soccer, football is the world\u2019s most popular sport. . . . This bill will help capture economic opportunity.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n

Pushing back last call has gained a drumbeat of support in recent weeks among leaders, including Mayor Michelle Wu, Governor Maura Healey, and state Senate President Karen Spilka, who have said the bill would help local businesses benefit from an expected surge of visitors for the World Cup matches at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough.<\/span><\/p>\n

In Rhode Island, whose border is less than 30 miles from the stadium, Governor Daniel J. McKee signed a similar bill into law last week. Kansas, Missouri, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Washington \u2014 states either hosting World Cup matches or geographically adjacent to those hosting the tournament \u2014 have also approved measures to extend alcohol sales hours.<\/span><\/p>\n

Wu has said city officials have been preparing for late-night crowds regardless of whether the bill passes, noting that some World Cup matches and related festivities are expected to run late into the evening.The city is, for example, allowing businesses that are licensed to close at 1 a.m. to apply for temporary permits to extend their hours to 2 a.m.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe question isn\u2019t whether it will cause people to be out and about,\u201d Wu said. \u201cIt\u2019s whether people will have something fun to do that also supports our local economy.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The support marks a notable shift among legislators who have long been resistant to boozy measures. A repeated proposal to end a 40-year ban on happy hours has faced an uphill battle on Beacon Hill. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cMassachusetts has a persistent fun problem,\u201d said state Senator Julian Cyr, a Provincetown Democrat who has proposed lifting the ban on happy hours in the last two legislative sessions.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re an outlier in how restrictive we are with alcohol consumption,\u201d he added. \u201cIn Massachusetts, you can gamble to your heart\u2019s desire and buy cannabis legally. Why can\u2019t we have happy hour or later last call?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Read more Democratic Senators, including Warren, pressed Platner on whether new allegations could emerge, according to report<\/a><\/p>\n

The Massachusetts Restaurant Association, which represents about 1,800 restaurants, said the short trial period for the later last call allows bar operators to try something new, said the association\u2019s president Steve Clark.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhy not?\u201d he said. \u201cRarely do you get the opportunity to pilot things.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n

Among those excited to test the waters is Oran McGonagle, who can see the FIFA Fan Festival at Boston City Hall from his perch at the Dubliner, which the Irish native owns and operates.<\/span><\/p>\n

McGonagle said the Dubliner has already added a back patio to expand capacity, complete with 15 brand-new televisions, food, and bar service. Fans coming from other countries will expect later service, he said, and he is excited to welcome visitors.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAnything that is pro-bar, pro-getting people energetic, I\u2019m all about,\u201d McGonagle said. \u201cAnd anything positive toward bars and nightlife might open the door for something to happen in the future.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

George Aboujaoude, owner of Committee in the Seaport and Eva on Newbury Street, is a 30-year nightclub industry veteran who also ran Bijou Nightclub and HUE Boston.<\/span><\/p>\n

He said the industry has, for years, asked for later last call. He recalled being told that the city doesn\u2019t have the infrastructure to support it, even when Boston hosted the Democratic National Convention in 2004.<\/span><\/p>\n

Aboujaoude said he would consider pursuing the later license at Eva, but not at Committee, which is already open until 2 a.m.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cExtending hours can create additional revenue and opportunities,\u201d he said. \u201cI\u2019d love Boston to become more open to business.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n

Aboujaoude and others, however, are approaching the idea with caution. They note the liabilities that come with serving people who have been out drinking all day. MBTA service also ends around 1 a.m., leaving employees and patrons alike to find alternative ways home late at night. <\/span><\/p>\n

Bartenders around Boston have also lamented the possibility of their shifts dragging deeper into the night.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhen you are serving drinks after midnight or 1 a.m., you are serving the people who have more than they should have had already. You open yourself up to liability,\u201d said Chris Lute, owner of the bar, Miracle of Science, in Cambridge. <\/span><\/p>\n

He said that while he supports an operator\u2019s right to decide how late they stay open, a 3 a.m. last call \u201cis not appealing to me.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Read more Game 61: Red Sox look to take series against Orioles in a Thursday matinee<\/a><\/p>\n

Nick Stoico of the Globe staff contributed to this report.<\/i><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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