It was well after 1 a.m. and roughly 100 scantily clad clubgoers snaked down the block outside of Legacy, the LGBTQ+ nightclub in Boston’s Theater District. With about 400 people downstairs, the club had long hit its capacity, but no one seemed eager to give up their place in line.
Down Warrenton Street, more crowds spilled onto the sidewalks outside Icon and Venu. IDs were already pulled out. Vape clouds wafted overhead. Groups in stilettos and tight dresses passed around cigarettes before disappearing back onto sweat-soaked dance floors, while others summoned Ubers to chase one more stop before closing time.
Normally, Boston nightlife would already be winding down. By 2 a.m., last call is over and the lights come up inside these beat-thumping establishments. But not this summer.
Massachusetts temporarily pushed closing times to as late as 3 a.m., if municipalities opted in, through the end of July for World Cup, America 250, and Sail Boston celebrations, allowing nearly 200 bars and restaurants to stay open later. The experiment has boosted sales, filled seats and dance floors, and begun to chip away at Boston’s reputation as a city that shuts down too early. Now, it’s prompting a debate, with some city leaders proposing that the later last call should outlive the summer.
In late June, Boston City Councilor Brian Worrell filed a measure that would permanently allow bars and restaurants in Boston to sell alcohol until 3 a.m., putting the city closer to the legal closing time of 4 a.m. in New York City. Certain bars in Chicago can stay open as late as 5 a.m. some nights.
Worrell previously noted that a more robust nightlife scene could help the city’s finances, keep more young people here, and support the hospitality sector and its workers. Councilors Julia Mejia and Ruthzee Louijeune have signed as original co-sponsors.
Mejia, a Dorchester native who briefly lived in New York, said what she saw there makes her confident Boston could pull off later closing times. She said such a policy could increase working hours for employees, “especially in economically difficult times.”
While the measure might win backing from the City Council, it must still be approved by the state Legislature, often a more lengthy political process.
Boston, long mocked for its so-called Puritanical liquor laws, began its experiment in early June, when thousands of kilted fans from Scotland’s Tartan Army gallivanted around the city’s bars, and even drank some establishments’ kegs dry. That momentum never really stopped.
Consumer spending at bars and restaurants increased in Boston more than any other host city during the early parts of the World Cup. A 16-day Fan Festival drew thousands to City Hall Plaza during the games. At some bars, the extended last call bumped revenue by thousands of dollars over a single weekend.
On Wednesday, Mayor Michelle Wu said she would advocate for the later closing time, saying during a radio interview that there have been “no incidents” and that she wants to “keep the momentum going.”
But the union representing Boston police officers called the idea foolish.
“Truth be told, not a lot of good happens after midnight,” the Boston Police Patrolmen’s Association said in a statement. “But if Brian Worrell thinks keeping bars open ‘til 3 a.m. will boost the fun, he should try going on a ride-along” in a police patrol car.
Logistically, some operators also noted challenges in staying open later, including most subway and key bus services that shut down around 1 a.m.
But ask Babak Bina whether staying open until 3 a.m. is worth it, and he doesn’t hesitate.
“Definitely, without a doubt,” said Bina, founding partner of groups BCB3 and BiNA Hospitality.
His group operates multiple bars and restaurants in downtown and Beacon Hill, which include JM Curley, The Wig Shop, Zurito, and Temple Records. He described how “dozens and dozens of people” now walk into JM Curley, a bar known to attract fellow restaurant industry professionals, after 2 a.m.
“It’s absolutely lucrative,” said Bina. “It put more money in our staff’s pocket and provided more options for those who want to go out.”
Bina said tourists who traveled to Massachusetts for the World Cup “have opened the eyes of Bostonians in a way that had never been done before.”
Some service workers initially worried the extended hours could be challenging for employees who are already working late, and that larger crowds with more booze could lead to more confrontations inside bars. Despite those concerns, Bina said his group served thousands of people in recent weeks without a single incident.
“It’s just been exhilarating,” said Bina. “It’s opened up our spirit in Boston in a way that we have not seen before in the 40 years I’ve been in this business.”
Brahm Callahan, beverage director of Himmel Hospitality Group, which runs Grill 23 & Bar, Harvest, Bistro du Midi, and The Banks Seafood and Steak, said while none of the restaurants in the group took part in the 3 a.m. closing time, their fine dining establishments benefited from it.
“We’ve seen a really strong uptick in later dining, like 9 to 10:30 p.m. seatings, even during the week,” said Callahan. “But it’s because people can eat dinner and then still going out afterwards. Before, we might not have been able to see those later seatings if [guests] only had so much time to go out after dinner.”
Nicholas Dixon — chef-owner of Hunter’s Kitchen & Bar, Prima Italian Steakhouse, Capri Italian Steakhouse, and the newly opened Dalia — said Boston should press forward with a permanent 3 a.m. closing time.
“If you can serve people, and you have staff that want to work it, then you should be able to do that. Like, this is America,” said Dixon, a partner of South Boston’s Broadway Restaurant Group.
Steve Clark, chief executive of the Massachusetts Restaurant Association, which represents more than 1,800 businesses, said it’s too soon to draw sweeping conclusions. He wants the pilot extended through September to gather more data, hear from operators, and see if more accommodations — like extended T service — are required to support later last calls.
“We’ve had this big rush of visitors in a tight timeframe,” said Clark. “I think extending it right now is a little premature. Let’s see what one month of a normal fall looks like without a huge influx of visitors.”
The success of the pilot thus far has also revived the broader debate over about Massachusetts’ famously restrictive rules around booze, such as a ban on happy hours.
Even Governor Maura Healey in June said she “personally” supports happy hour, which allows for discounted prices on alcoholic drinks, but has been illegal in Massachusetts for decades. During a radio interview, she framed the idea as part of her “competitiveness” pitch to attract and retain more people in the state.
Indeed, state Senator Julian Cyr said the most common complaint he hears from young people is about “how boring Boston is.”
Whether lawmakers ultimately embrace later nights remain uncertain. But after a few weeks where crowded bars stayed busy until 3 a.m., the idea feels less far-fetched.
“There’s been a real recipe for change in Massachusetts this summer, and I think we’ve got to figure out a way to hold on to it,” Cyr said.
Shannon Larson and Emma Platoff of the Globe staff contributed to this report.
Alexa Gagosz can be reached at alexa.gagosz@globe.com. Follow her @alexagagosz and on Instagram @AlexaGagosz.