Milwaukee-Area Bars Can Stay Open Until 4 a.m. During RNC

The Old World Third entertainment district in January 2024. Photo by Jeramey Jannene.

They say nothing good happens after midnight, but what about 4 a.m.? Some of the estimated 50,000 guests set to attend next week’s Republican National Convention are soon to find out.

Thanks to a new law, bars in more than a dozen Wisconsin counties are permitted to remain open until 4 a.m. July 16 through 19, giving patrons an extra two hours to imbibe in one of the city’s favorite pastimes.

Traditionally, bars and restaurants are required to close at 2 a.m. on weekdays and 2:30 a.m. on weekends.

The basis for the legislation is that the convention runs until 10 p.m. daily and it can take an extensive amount of time to leave the convention grounds. Governor Tony Evers set the law in motion by including it in his 2023-25 state budget plan and it was ultimately signed into law in December as part of an overhaul of state alcohol laws.

The move marked the revival of a 2019 proposal to extend bar hours during the Democratic National Convention, which was held in in 2020 in Milwaukee. The COVID-19 pandemic, however, disrupted both the earlier legislation and the convention itself.

One does not need to be affiliated with the convention to take advantage of the extra hours. Nor is a bar required to stay open until the new closing time.

The new measure encompasses establishments located in Kenosha, Racine, Walworth, Rock, Milwaukee, Waukesha, Jefferson, Dane, Ozaukee, Washington, Dodge, Columbia, Sheboygan and Fond du Lac counties holding liquors licenses for beer, wine or liquor sales (Class “B,” “Class B” and “Class C” licenses).

To participate, local officials are required to adopt a resolution allowing extended closing hours and grant an exception to business owners.

The measure does not affect the hours during which alcohol can be sold for off-premise consumption; state law prohibits — in most cases — the sale of alcohol between 9 p.m. and 6 a.m.

Gastropubs and other alcohol establishments serving food will be able to keep their kitchens operating during the extended hours.

Several municipalities have opted out of the law, and will limit taverns to typical hours during the convention. That includes the Village of Germantown, the City of Oconomowoc, the Town of Oconomowoc  and the Village of Shorewood.

A handful of bars in Milwaukee have already announced plans to operate with extended hours during the RNC. Some, including The Bar at Saint Kate The Arts Hotel, Mason Street Grill, Blu and Miller Time Pub & Grill, will remain open until 4 a.m. Others are planning to make a final decision after gauging demand.