Hoping for happy hour? It might be making a comeback in Rhode Island.

Rep. Kennedy: "We've got to get ourselves out of the prohibition era, and into the modern days."

PROVIDENCE, RI (WLNE) –

One of eight states in the nation to pass on happy hour, the state of Rhode Island is now considering bringing back the bargain on booze. “We’ve got to get ourselves out of the prohibition era, and into the modern days,” said State Representative Brian Patrick Kennedy.

Happy hour was banned in Rhode Island in 1985 due to concerns over drunk driving. Yet restaurant owners who have been in business over 30 years like Anthony Santori, says this “will not and should not be the 1984 happy hour situation. We all know the amount of education that has been done on responsible drinking and driving for a patron.”

Despite having ride share services such as Lyft and Uber as well as public transportation options that didn’t exist in the 80’s, Sarah Bratko of Rhode Island Hospitality says restauranteurs today face new fears – so while some are embracing the concept, other business owners are skeptical.

“Restaurants are going to be competing against each other to get cheaper and cheaper liquor prices,” says Bratko. “I’ve never heard anybody say, ‘Oh, there’s no happy hour, so I’m not going to go.’ There’s a little bit of concern that this is going to force restaurants to discount those existing customers.”

Many who spoke during the hearing, including Representative Katherine Kazarian, believe the move could breathe life back in to businesses battered by the pandemic. “I like this bill, I think it would actually bring people back out to the city.”