After 40-year ban, Hoosiers celebrate return of happy hour

Dustin Marcum and Ryan Moylen sat at the Five Iron Golf bar top a little after 4 p.m. They frequently stop by the downtown spot on the way home from work. On this Monday afternoon, in the mostly empty bar, Marcum's eyes widened after hearing the beer he ordered cost a mere $1.

“I’ll take a $1 beer. Hell, I’d even pay two,” Marcum said. For the past 40 years, happy hour pricing has been illegal for the Five Iron and every other bar and restaurant in the state. But state legislators repealed that law in the most recent session, bringing happy hour back.

Bars and restaurant owners across Indianapolis took advantage of the new law the first opportunity they had, celebrating the ban's repeal with drink and food specials. While they said Monday they did not know if customers would embrace the practice, owners are optimistic that the legalization of happy hour will bring in additional business and attract customers during traditionally slow hours.

This move could potentially boost the revenue of bars and restaurants across Indianapolis, contributing to the local economy and enhancing the city's social scene, bar owners say.

C'mon get happy: Drink specials return to Indiana bars and restaurants

"We are very excited about happy hour coming to Indiana," said Chris Burton, co-owner of The Oakmont and Vincino on Massachusetts Ave, both of which have already started offering happy hour specials.

Burton and his business partner both hail from Houston, where happy hour is a time-honored tradition. He said he thinks it may take time, but happy hour will likely catch on here as well.

His two restaurants will now host happy hour between 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. with specialty drink and food options not usually on the menus. The two locations will also feature special prices and portion sizes during happy hour.

All 11 Cunningham Group restaurants in central Indiana will participate in happy hour and the company views it as an opportunity to reach new diners, Cunningham spokesperson Carissa Newton said.

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While some bar or restaurant owners said at this time they would not be participating in a happy hour, many others wasted no time.

To celebrate the legalization of happy hour, Five Iron Golf downtown will offer draft beers for $3.17 throughout July. Between 4 p.m. and 7.m. Monday through Friday, the golf simulator attraction will run a happy hour with $1 draft beers and $5 for select appetizers.

At Pins Mechanical Co. and 16-Bit Bar and Arcade both in downtown Indianapolis, guests will receive $2 off specialty cocktails, draft beer and wine Monday through Friday from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. Rise Brands, the Ohio-based parent company of the two establishments, already offered these happy hour specials at its Columbus and Cincinnati locations.

The Inferno Room in Fountain Square has a new happy hour drinks menu along with new pricing, co-owner Chris Coy said. Previously restaurants were not allowed to sell drinks at reduced prices at any time during the day.

The bar’s happy hour will run from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, traditionally the bar’s slowest hours. Coy said that the Inferno Room will have unique off-menu cocktails such as a daiquiri for $6 and $6 appetizers such as nachos tacos that Coy hopes will draw both tourists and locals alike.

The legislation , signed by Gov. Eric Holcomb in March , allows businesses to hold happy hour before 10 p.m. up to 15 hours a week or up to four hours in one day. Lobbyists for the restaurant industry celebrated the move as a moderation of Indiana’s liquor laws.

The bill also legalizes to-go cocktails, which Abbi Raben with the Indiana Restaurant and Lodging Association said will be another boost for restaurants and customers. As the popularity of to-go meals continues to increase, customers want to take home a mixed drink to go along with their food, she said. Tyler Spence is a Pulliam Fellow at the IndyStar primarily covering business. Contact him at jspence@gannett.com

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: After 40-year ban, Hoosiers celebrate return of happy hour