Crime & Safety

Bars, Police Prepare for 'Busiest Bar Night of the Year'

Birmingham Police don't plan to increase enforcement levels, but they will be checking capacity levels at bars and restaurants.

Birmingham bars and police are preparing for an influx of patrons downtown tonight on what some are calling "one of the biggest bar nights of the year."

The night before Thanksgiving traditionally finds college students home for the holiday and out-of-town relatives gathering for fun and relaxation. With nearly everyone off work the next day, businesses such as , and the (which will be hosting a Thanksgiving Eve bash) are expecting more than 1,000 people to flood the city's hot spots.

doesn't expect too many problems. Cmdr. Terry Kiernan said it will send out one regular patrol that evening, with the possibility that officers may be asked to stay out longer should the need arise.

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Besides public intoxication and fights, Kiernan said the most common problem the night before Thanksgiving—as well as any Friday or Saturday night—is ensuring bars don't go over capacity. Birmingham's deputy police chief and fire marshal will visit bars throughout the night checking head counts and looking for any liquor violations.

Most of the time bar and restaurant owners have ways of dealing with busy nights, Kiernan said. "A lot of bars do a good job of keeping capacity," he said.

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Most fights and other problems occur after the businesses close, with patrons out on the streets and intoxicated. Minors and underage drinking can also be a problem the night before Thanksgiving, especially with 18- to 20-year-olds home from college.

This is the first Thanksgiving season for South Bar, which has been busy getting ready for the crowds. The Old Woodward Avenue bar/restaurant/nightclub has stacks of beer, wine and champagne stocked in the refrigerator, manager Gina Spadafore said. Doors open at 9 p.m. with a DJ and no cover charge.

"We don't know what to expect, but obviously, it is the biggest bar night of the year," Spadafore said.

South has room for 600 people, Spadafore said, but it will be provide a heated outdoor patio and designated space for lines out front in case things should become too crowded.

Though it has had problems in the past, Kiernan said he's generally impressed with South's crowd control. "You have to admit that for the number of people they have in, they're really not doing that bad," Kiernan said.

The only bar that ran into problems last year was the , Kiernan said, after it went over capacity.  The restaurant and bar can hold 400 people, Big Rock General Manager Vera Day Rizer said, and it has already collected "quite a few reservations" this year.

"We have bouncers to keep the crowd under control," Rizer said. "We are totally about complying with the regulations." 


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