Under state law, bars in Kansas and Missouri can legally serve alcohol up to 23 hours a day during the World Cup. Some have opted to — notably The Quaff in Kansas City, Missouri — but for others, even citywide soccer fever doesn’t translate to all-night demand.
Dave King, owner of The Stag and Dempsey’s Burger Pub in Lawrence, said it's not economically possible for bars in the city to be open 23 hours a day.
“I think Lawrence lacks the diversity, population and scale that Kansas City bars have to stay open 23 hours serving alcohol," King said in an interview. "It just doesn’t make sense to keep the bars open in Lawrence.”
The Kansas law allows bars, restaurants and liquor stores to extend hours to sell alcohol from 6 a.m. to 5 a.m. the following day. The extended hours are active from June 11 through July 19, coinciding with the FIFA World Cup tournament, and closely matching the terms in Missouri’s law.
In both states, individual county commissions or city governing bodies had to pass a specific resolution or ordinance to allow the extended hours. Park City and Merriam in Kansas opted in to allow later sales of liquor. Johnson County cities Overland Park and Olathe did not.
Lawrence city commissioners held a special meeting last week to approve permits to allowing alcohol consumption at additional downtown street parties for World Cup matches, but local bars were not interested — the city’s raucous embrace of the Algerian team based in Kansas City doesn’t extend to high demand for 23-hour bar-hopping.
In order to stay open late, each establishment would have to provide security teams to monitor crowd behavior and prevent over-serving. Businesses are also required by representatives from the Metropolitan Organization Countering Sexual Assault to implement the SAFE Training program, which teaches staff to recognize situations that could lead to assault, intervene effectively and support survivors.
According to Startland News, some establishments may also have a two drink per person limit or no blanket serving amount, or they may stop serving visibly intoxicated individuals.
The wee morning hours bring public safety concerns, too, like possible brawls, DUIs and shootings, without as many emergency responders available.
Allie Henry, owner of Hurricane Allie’s Bar in Merriam, Kansas, told KSHB in April: “This is a very unique opportunity for us in the bar industry to take advantage of the crowd that we’re gonna be getting for the World Cup.”
Henry opted into extended sale hours, but only stays open past her usual hours if the bar is still crowded.
On the Missouri side, local municipalities similarly took different approaches to the 23-hour law. After announcing on social media that Kansas City would limit closing hours to 1:30 a.m. for most bars, with a few exceptions staying open until 3 a.m., Mayor Quinton Lucas compromised with the City Council to make the rule 3 a.m. for most bars, and 5 a.m. for some. Other municipalities like Lee’s Summit also chose to partially optout of the law.
“I respect fun. I respect freedom. But Kansas City doesn’t need bars operating 23 hours,” Lucas wrote in a May 7 Facebook post.
At least one local soccer fan thinks the cities and businesses that aren’t taking advantage are missing out.
Garrett Ivey, who like many Lawrence residents is a newly minted Algeria fan, said closed bars are missing out on his business.
“I would stay out as long as the games are on and I’m not asleep,” Ivey said. “It would be fun to stay overnight at the bar watching games, especially if, like Algeria was playing. It would be electric.”
Algeria has made the Round of 32 and is scheduled to play Switzerland in Vancouver on Thursday night.
KCUR is partnering with students at the University of Kansas' William Allen White School of Journalism and Mass Communication for coverage of this summer's World Cup.
