It’s said that necessity is the mother of invention, but what about legality? What if we told you that at least in some circles, the laws have affected home entertaining trends? In states like Illinois, for instance, the happy hour regulations have become a huge piece of infrastructure that’s shaped bar and restaurant design across the windy city and suburbs as well. In Hong Kong, where building bomb shelters, spaces for live entertainment, modern bars, and just plain stylish builds are in huge demand, the happy hour law has continued to shape industry ideas. That means that if you’re a homeowner who enjoys entertaining guests, you could use Illinois happy hour law to your advantage to entice friends back to your place over a fancy drink or two. To use the Illinois happy hour law to your advantage, you first need to understand what happy hour is and what it consists of. You also need to understand if your build will facilitate it.

What is Illinois Happy Hour Law?

The happy hour law in Illinois says a restaurant or bar can only offer two forms of discount for drinks. The first is “early bird pricing.” This is when a bar offers early drink pricing to guests that come in earlier in the night. The second is limited drinks pricing. Limited drinks pricing is when a bar offers a block of time during which drinks are on special. For instance, from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m., the bar can offer $5 drinks. Other than that, a bar or restaurant is not allowed to offer discounts on drinks. As a result, happy hour can only be implemented on a limited basis. If you don’t have a bar or restaurant, but you still want to engage in happy hour, you can look for bars in your area that implement the policy.

Considerations for Happy Hour at Home

Now that you have an idea of how happy hour laws work, let’s think about the role that have in designing patios and kitchens that promote happy hour. In Illinois, there’s a lot of renovation of patios into casual dining areas with special cabanas and modern bars. If you’re a homeowner who’s interested in this sort of renovation, you’re in luck. Once your patio is ready, you can plan a themed happy hour party. For example, suppose you throw a holiday party with complimentary drinks. In that case, you could implement a limited drinks pricing policy for your household. Happy hour will work in your favor because you’ll be able to offer the drinks for free without facing any pushback. You might also consider setting up a water filtration system for your bar area. Water filtration systems are great for happy hour because they offer quality drinking water for cocktails, beer, and other beverages. Would you be happy with a subpar happy hour cocktail that uses tap water? Probably not. Instead of letting your guests suffer, invest in a water filtration system for your new bar. You should also think about floor heating if you intend to keep your bar and kitchen open for extended periods of time. Floor heating will keep your home warm during cool weather. It’ll offer a safe space for your kids and others to enjoy a nightcap. Once you’ve decided that you’d like a bar area, you’ll need to think about legalities. In places like Illinois, you might even be required to get a permit before you can build a bar. After all, building codes require homeowners to comply with certain standards of safety. If you build a bar, you will be able to offer happy hour to your friends, and they’ll love you for it. In the future, you might even consider turning your bar space into a rentable area. You could host a happy hour style event for a company looking to entertain clients. Also, you could open the space up to the public. Rooftop happy hours are popular in Chicago. They’re not as popular in other areas. But if you live in a warm climate, happy hour business will probably be a breeze. If you’re interested in starting a happy hour, you’ll need to plan it in the same way as a party. What kind of drinks do you want to serve? What food will you provide? As you plan, you should also think about how your space will accommodate your party. Be sure that you are satisfied with decor, lighting, and furniture so that your happy hour is a success. Happy hour is a great way to entice your friends to come out to your house. With a fireplace and a bar, you can offer a range of drinks for adults while your kids enjoy a beer or glass of soda. Your work in designing a kitchen or patio will pay off if you invite guests to your house frequently. Are happy hour and happy hour laws for you? Often times, people want a distinctive setup in their homes. Maybe you don’t have a patio for a bar, or maybe you simply don’t want to share your bar with guests. Neither are a problem! You can always create a bar for yourself. To do so, you’ll need a small table or countertop space dedicated to growing plants or liquor storage. You may also want to purchase a bar cart to keep your wine and hard liquor out of the way. Happy hour laws, in cities like Chicago, are great for homeowners who want to design a delicious, responsible, entertaining way to spend time at home. You can put your favorite liquor in a decanter, stock a few mixers in your bar cart, and keep pint-sized glasses nearby for your guests. When it’s time to clean up after happy hour, you can add ice to the liquids and put them into the freezer, if your bar has one. Complete the transformation by washing your glasses and quartering limes. And just like that, you’re ready for the next happy hour!