Senate OKs 23 hours of alcohol sales at 2 Nashville bars

Friday, May 5, 2017, Vol. 41, No. 18

NASHVILLE (AP) — Two Nashville bars could serve alcohol for 23 hours a day in a bill passed by the Tennessee Senate.

Senators voted 21-5 vote Thursday to let The Diner in Nashville's Broadway entertainment district and the Scoreboard Bar & Grill in the Opryland area pour drinks almost all day.

The bill would require liquor service at the establishments to cease only between the hours of 3 a.m. and 4 a.m.

Under current law, liquor-by-the-drink service must be halted between 3 a.m. and 8 a.m.

The Diner's owners say they want to cater to service industry workers who finish work late and to serve as an overnight room-service option for hotels.

The bill heads back to the House because senators amended it to also let distilleries open and own liquor-by-the-drink restaurants onsite.