NJ makes push to let bars stay open later for World Cup

Gov. Mikie Sherrill wants local governments to allow their bars and restaurants to move their last calls later to boost economic activity around the eight World Cup matches set for East Rutherford this summer.

Sherrill appeared at Mulligan’s Pub in Hoboken on Monday to highlight new guidance from the state’s Division of Alcoholic Beverage Control that advises liquor licensees to reach out to local officials if they want to open for longer hours to make the most of World Cup tourism and viewership.

“New Jersey is home to so many vibrant communities, and the World Cup is a once-in-a-generation opportunity for people across our state to come together, celebrate, and enjoy everything that makes New Jersey special,” Sherrill said in a statement.

Though state law limits the hours during which retail stores and others can sell alcohol for consumption off-premises, alcohol service hours at bars fall fully within local officials’ control.

Other states have made similar moves. Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro in March signed a bill giving Philadelphia bars and restaurants the option to stay open until 4 a.m. — that city will host six World Cup matches at Lincoln Financial Field — and New York state is also temporarily easing some statewide liquor rules.

In its guidance, the New Jersey Division of Alcoholic Beverage Control said certain licensees could, upon application, receive temporary extensions that would expand the physical area in which they are permitted to sell alcohol. But hours of sale are generally a matter of municipal ordinance and discretion and could not be changed by the state, the division said.

Sherrill separately issued a gubernatorial proclamation that recognized municipalities could adjust alcohol sales hours during the World Cup. The proclamation has no force of law.