Texarkana, Texas, bars and restaurants may soon be able to serve alcohol later.
The City Council on Monday will consider a proposal to allow establishments with the appropriate state permit to extend alcohol service two hours past the current 12 a.m. cutoff.
Tusks-N-Horns Bar and Grill, which recently opened at The Wyndham Garden Hotel on North State Line Avenue, requested that the city establish a late-hours alcohol ordinance.
Owner Bennie Franklin said he wants to retain the bar revenues now traveling across the state line into Arkansas after midnight, especially to help defray the cost of live bands that typically charge $1,200 to $1,500 a night.
"By the time 12 o'clock rolls around, everybody's still getting ready to spend a little bit of money. They're getting to where they're relaxed and kind of enjoying themselves. You literally can watch them come out the door and go straight across the street up to Shooter's or down to Fat Jack's or down to the Arrow, and the city is losing tax dollars, as well as myself. Basically, I'm just getting them warmed up to go spend money on the Arkansas side," Franklin said.
Anyone wishing to serve alcohol until 2 a.m. would have to get a Mixed Beverage Late Hours Permit from Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission. The city already requires establishments that serve alcohol to have a TABC Mixed Beverage With FB (food and beverage) Permit, which means the majority of their sales must be food.
City management staff has met with Texas-side Police Chief Dan Shiner, Fire Chief Eric Schlotter and City Attorney Jeff Lewis to discuss the ordinance, according to City Council meeting agenda documents. City staff members recommend approval of the ordinance.
The council will hear a first reading of the proposed ordinance on Monday. A public hearing is scheduled for March 12, with a vote to come at a subsequent meeting.
The meeting's agenda includes an open forum during which members of the public may address the council on any topic for up to five minutes each.
The meeting is scheduled for 6 p.m. Monday at City Hall, 220 Texas Blvd.
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