Over 30 Minneapolis bars stayed open until 4 a.m. Wednesday following the American League’s 5-3 All-Star Game victory at Target Field, and fans seemed to take advantage.
“There was a pretty good mix of local residents and the game-goers out,” Minneapolis police Lt. Ray Witzman told the Star Tribune. “But the night was pretty uneventful for us — not a lot of calls. We had maybe two arrests. That was nothing.”
Bar owners called the late bar close a success – and based on Twitter, business was good at some of the local establishments.
https://twitter.com/rennerKSTP/status/489371510256046080
If you wondered if people would stay out, @DevilsBarMN at 3:30am: packed. #ASG #WCCO pic.twitter.com/Fwm1vOYT8p
— Jason DeRusha (@DeRushaJ) July 16, 2014
Smaller but dozens @TheLocalMpls at 3:40am. #ASG #WCCO pic.twitter.com/ylecQXYEzj
— Jason DeRusha (@DeRushaJ) July 16, 2014
Mounted police officers watching over crowds this morning around 4am. pic.twitter.com/7kKX3VhtuU
— Melissa Colorado (@melissacolorado) July 16, 2014
What a difference in 2 hours. At 4 am, bar patrons roamed downtown Minneapolis. Now, it's back to normal pic.twitter.com/CKQsVltBgq
— Melissa Colorado (@melissacolorado) July 16, 2014
Great win for the AL, but the real winners tonight are the bar-goers because they're open in Minneapolis until 4 am.
— David Fink (@dsfink) July 16, 2014
https://twitter.com/BrianCopeland/status/489326181125062656
A few bar managers told the Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal most of their customers during All-Star week were out-of-towners – and some establishments saw larger late-night crowds than others.
“We were expecting a bigger crowd, but we might have over-prepared for it too,” Seven Steakhouse Sushi Ultralounge Skybar Manager Alex Luebdert told the Business Journal. “Business was better than usual, but our expectations were very, very high.”
Luebdert said they overstaffed for the night and OK’d a lot of overtime hours. People started clearing out just after 3 a.m., the Business Journal reports.
The Minnesota Legislature gave Minneapolis bars a special dispensation for game day; the last time the bars got special permission to stay open until 4 a.m. was during the Republican National Convention in 2008.
Because all went well Wednesday morning, it could be good news for bars when it comes to future events – like when Minneapolis hosts the Super Bowl in 2018.
“It’s an experiment for the city as well. I mean, if this happens, about the Super Bowls, the Final Fours and stuff, if this 4 a.m. license thing works, and everyone behaves themselves and it goes over well, then we can probably continue to do it,” Tim Mahoney, owner of The Loon Cafe in Minneapolis, told KSTP before the All-Star Game.
And if you were one of the fans to stay out until the wee hours of the morning, Fitness Magazine has a few hangover cures to help you get through the day.
