Springfield City Council members are expected to review an ordinance to extend hours of service for establishments serving alcohol.
City attorney Hillary Burns said she will have a new ordinance ready for council members to vote on at their Sept. 13 meeting. Burns told council members she prefers drawing up a new ordinance instead of modifying the existing law to incorporate the new hours. The new ordinance, if adopted, would allow serving hours on Friday to be extended from midnight to 1 a.m. and on premises consumption hours to go from 1 a.m. to 2 a.m.
Kelly’s Tavern owner Susan Piros told council members the new ordinance will help her business, especially now that Rincon has adopted new serving hours.
“It’s been a very difficult summer in the restaurant business. I need to be able to compete,” she said.
Piros pointed out to the council that most of Effingham’s residents who do go out on the weekends choose to stay in the county.
“With the change in Rincon’s hours, it’s becoming increasingly difficult to compete,” she said.
Piros said the difference in serving hours may be causing her to lose business.
“The former owner had discussed extending the hours,” she said. “It was always on the minds of the staff of the tavern.”
Council members praised Piros and her establishment.
“You go by the book and train your people well, and I appreciate that,” said council member Kenny Usher.
Piros said the plan was for the business to stay where it was.
“Kelly’s is as much a part of Springfield as anything else,” she said.
Also, Jamey Stancell said he would like to hold another exploratory meeting of a Springfield downtown merchants association at his store, Old Town Bookstore and Antiques, on Monday at 7 p.m.
