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Cranston committee OKs limited late-night hours for four bars during World Cup nights
Summary
The Safety, Service & Licensing Committee approved letting four Cranston City establishments stay open until 4 a.m. on four World Cup nights, provided alcohol service stops at 2 a.m., a police detail runs 10 p.m.–4 a.m., and the games are aired indoors. The mayor had asked the committee to limit extensions citing safety concerns.
The Cranston City Safety, Service & Licensing Committee voted on June 22 to allow four local businesses to remain open until 4 a.m. on four specified World Cup broadcast nights, with alcohol service required to stop at 2 a.m. and a mandatory police detail from 10 p.m. to 4 a.m.
The action came after the committee accepted a letter from the mayor into the record in which he opposed broad extensions of liquor service, citing public-safety risks including impaired driving; the clerk summarized the mayor's position to the committee. A police department representative told the committee officers would carry out liquor compliance checks and that dedicated staffing for every night may be constrained on short notice.
The committee discussed options including a strict 2 a.m. closing, leaving venues open until 4 a.m. with alcohol service ending at 2 a.m., and the need for police coverage. Council members noted neighboring Providence authorized similar late hours for selected matches. Lincenzo Mazza, the owner of the business at 1669 Cranston Street that applied for an extension, told the committee he had reviewed match times and did not expect games to run past 2 a.m.: “I don't see a need for me to be open anyway past 2AM.”
After discussion the committee adopted a package motion allowing the four applying establishments to stay open until 4 a.m. on June 16, June 22, June 26 and July 2, conditioned on alcohol service ending at 2 a.m., a police detail from 10 p.m. to 4 a.m., and the requirement that the game be carried indoors on the establishments' TV screens (outdoor airing was excluded). The clerk advised that approved licenses will be released by the licensing clerk but may not be printable until the following morning, and that enforcement officers should be aware of that timing.
The vote was taken by roll call and recorded as affirmative; the motion passed. The committee adjourned after the vote.
Notes: the transcript alternately spells one applicant as “Balazio” and appears elsewhere as “Barlatio”; the committee identified the four applying businesses by address and will rely on the licensing clerk to issue the official, printed licenses.
