Underage University of Wisconsin students now have one more bar they can go to legally.
As part of an ongoing campaign to allow 18- to 20-year-olds to enter Madison bars, the Associated Students of Madison announced Thursday Kimia Lounge would begin holding over-18 nights on a more consistent basis.
The announcement came during a press conference Thursday, when ASM representatives gave a status report on their campaign.
"Members from the committee met with [Kimia Lounge owner Kami Eshraghi] and, basically, he already has the license, but just hasn't been using it," ASM Campus Relations Chair Sam Ziesemer said in a phone interview Thursday.
ASM Vice Chair Dylan Rath said ASM representatives would continue to meet with bar owners on and around the UW campus in the coming weeks to persuade them to buy a $250 license to allow 18- to 20-year-olds in their bars.
"We're just scoping out the scene to see what bars we want to target," Rath said in a phone interview Thursday. "We're just meeting with bars to collect information."
However, Rath and ASM representatives might encounter resistance from many Madison bar owners.
Though he possesses the license allowing 18- to 20-year-olds to enter his bar, Eshraghi said other bar owners might not be so willing to accommodate underage patrons.
"As part of the college experience, I think students should be able to do a lot more things than just go to the library," Eshraghi said, adding a bar provides a "safer environment" than house parties. "But, from a business standpoint, it's not very profitable."
According to Eshraghi, besides having to increase security for over-18 nights, bar owners also face potential liability issues if police catch underage patrons drinking alcohol in their bars.
"Historically, bars have been infiltrated by people still in high school, and that creates a legal problem for the bar," Eshraghi said. "There are 15-, 16-year-olds that borrow siblings' IDs."
To overcome the potential roadblocks, Rath said ASM is prepared to try a variety of tactics to persuade bar owners to buy the license allowing 18- to 20-year-olds to enter their bars.
"Bars don't want to use it. We'll use tactics to pressure them … things like having students call into bars or like some kind of disruption of the bar," Rath said, describing the variety of methods ASM is considering. "I think they'll listen to it if we can do things in a way to make them think how much of an issue it is."
Contrary to Eshraghi's sentiment about business being affected, Rath said bar owners could profit from allowing 18- to 20-year-olds into their bars by instituting a cover charge.
"We're trying to prove it can be lucrative," Rath said.
However, Eshraghi said many bar owners would be hesitant nonetheless.
"Some bars just don't want to deal with the headache," Eshraghi said. "I'm not going to preach it. It's private property. They can do what they want."
