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As of the weekend, drinkers at bars and restaurants around Colorado will have one more hour to order alcohol. Governor Jared Polis announced on Friday that last call has moved from 10 p. m. to 11 p. m. starting on Saturday. Im very hopeful that within a month that can then go to midnight, Polis added. But hopefully it will provide folks a little more breathing room to get to 11 p. m. last call. Bar owners who spoke to The Denver Post earlier this week said they were hoping for news of a midnight last call in time for the end of summer and as the governors original 30-day 10 p. m. order expired. RELATED: Bar owners across Denver pray for later last call as Polis 10 p. m. order expiresIf its midnight, Ill be happy, Angela Neri, who owns the Lower Downtown Denver bar Pony Up, told The Denver Post on Wednesday. If its 11 p. m. , Ill be okay. But if 10 oclock gets extended Ill be concerned each month. Another month would be a huge struggle for me. Neri and other bar owners reported that their sales were down 50-80% heading into the end of summer, with as much as 75% lower sales during the last 30 days, following the 10 p. m. last call order. For her part, Neri had already been enforcing last call at midnight prior to the governors 10 p. m. order because we did have the sense that there was a shift in people later than that, she said. So we didnt ever change and go to either 1 a. m. or 2 a. m. , but 12 a. m. makes all the difference. Those two hours are everything. Pony Up is located in the middle of a popular nightlife district, just blocks from Coors Field and as close to Union Station and downtown office buildings. The area has been especially hard-hit due to a loss of foot traffic during the pandemic. People dont want to be around that (LoDo) atmosphere, Neri said, so it makes it hard because that is our location, but we are not that type of bar, and were
