Ladies' Nights at Bars Ruled "Discriminatory" and "Illegal" in NJ Courts

[frazzledspice]

http://www.wjla.com/news/stories/0604/150826.html

TRENTON, N.J. (AP) - The state's top civil rights official has ruled that taverns cannot offer discounts to women on "ladies nights," agreeing with a man who claimed such gender-based promotions discriminated against men.

David R. Gillespie said it was not fair for women to get into the Coastline nightclub for free and receive discounted drinks while men paid a $5 cover charge and full price for drinks.

In the long run, my concern is that businesses will be discouraged from offering any discounts to any demographic groups.

For example, I became 55 two weeks ago. This potentially angst-filled occasion was made a little sweeter by the fact that I now qualify for a 20% discount at my fitness center, a 5-10% discount on car insurance, a senior rate at one of the multiplex theatres in our town, a 2 for 1 meal at the IHOP if my husband and I go there, and other discounts at various stores and restaurants in town.

And what about military members who get discounts at many businesses. Will someone who isn't in the military sue that he is being discriminated against? Don't our military members deserve appreciation in the form of discounts?

I believe that businesses offer discounts to certain demographic groups to promote business, not to discriminate against other customers. If they made certain groups pay a surcharge, I would call that discrimination, but that's not the case.

I think a better solution would be to require bars having "ladies' nights" to have "gentlemens' nights" on another night of the week. I have seen signs to that effect in different restaurants, and this seems fairer than eliminating discounts altogether.

[Magick1]

In Iowa, they did this either late last year or early this year.

I can understand it, but as one person here at work said when this was "ruled" into action, "well, they guys that are coming to ladies night know that there would be an abundance of women at the bars, so it's not like they weren't getting ANY benefit going to those "ladies" nights".

Someone has always got to mess up things for others, if they aren't happy about something.

This guy must have felt ripped off because he had to pay a cover & had to pay for drinks and he must have been ignored by the women that night at the bar. This hurt his feelings and he decided to sue & get paid for the slight he perceived.

Man, the things people sue over...it has already ruined a lot of things for a lot of people...soon, we won't have any freedoms left. (JUST MY RANT)

[mjfrombuffalo[$]]

Men having to pay a cover charge that the women don't have to is, in effect, a surcharge. But yeah, I agree, they get the benefit of all the lovely ladies - who get drunk faster than men and stay drunk longer than men on the same number of drinks because of how women's bodies process alcohol.

[realtraveller]

frazzledspice said

http://www.wjla.com/news/stories/0604/150826.html



In the long run, my concern is that businesses will be discouraged from offering any discounts to any demographic groups.

I agree. The reason bars have ladies nights is to attract women into the bars which in turn attracts more men into the bars to look at the women in the bars. It has everything to do with marketing and nothing to do with discrimination.

It's like those restaurants that have "kids eat free" or hotels that have "kids stay free". The idea is to get families in the door not to discriminate on the basis of age.

[poseidon]

I understand the business reasons behind wanting to cater to a special group -- you discount many things for seniors or for students because they're typically the ones who have the appearance of having the least amount of disposable income.

I understand the business reasons for a bar wanting to let ladies in for free and for charging men.

Back when I was single and tinkered around with singles' websites, some of them would offer free ads to both women and men. If women wanted to respond to an ad, they could do it for free. If men wanted to respond to an ad, they had to purchase a membership. I thought it tremendously unfair and I found ones that had the same rules for both. But, I'll admit that one of my other concerns was the legitimacy of the websites, and it was based solely on the previously-mentioned rule.

I have zero problems with "kids eat free" or "kids stay free." Those rules don't affect me one way or the other. But, on a side-note, I always thought it silly that a hotel charges per-person versus per-room. Yeah, in theory two guests use more water and more towels than one. But, I've been on the road travelling for work and have had desk clerks question me if I'm sure that it would only be me staying in the room.

Men having to pay a cover charge that the women don't have to is, in effect, a surcharge. But yeah, I agree, they get the benefit of all the lovely ladies - who get drunk faster than men and stay drunk longer than men on the same number of drinks because of how women's bodies process alcohol.

You know, it isn't as if the bars/restaurants/clubs are losing money on alcohol. The markup on a bottle of wine in a moderately-priced restaurant is 200-300% over what the same bottle would cost in any liquor store. The markup on beer and hard liquor is even greater, as it is sold per-drink versus per-bottle (with the exception of bottled beer, Mike's Hard Lemonade, etc.).

When you're paying $5.00 for a mixed drink, they're making a tremendous profit on that drink. So, the idea of a cover charge is even more insulting IMO.

[phoenixx]

You know, it isn't as if the bars/restaurants/clubs are losing money on alcohol. The markup on a bottle of wine in a moderately-priced restaurant is 200-300% over what the same bottle would cost in any liquor store. The markup on beer and hard liquor is even greater, as it is sold per-drink versus per-bottle (with the exception of bottled beer, Mike's Hard Lemonade, etc.).

When you're paying $5.00 for a mixed drink, they're making a tremendous profit on that drink. So, the idea of a cover charge is even more insulting IMO.

From a professional bartender with many, many years in "the biz" - several points:

The markup on alcohol is minimal. The markup on bottled beer is much more - the bars get reimbursed for a variety of things in bottled beer - loyalty to one brand, returns on bottles, promotions, volume discounts, etc. The markup on wine depends on the area you live in and the restaurant - the more "high end" the restaurant, the more you are paying for wine and champagne across the board. The bars and the restaurants not only mark prices according to vendor incentives and actual cost, they add a percentage based on what the clientele they serve is willing to pay - the more "yuppified" your bar/eatery of choice, the higher your prices, no matter what you drink or eat.

The bars also must cover the outrageous cost of insurance, permits, licenses, maintenance to keep in compliance with health and safety codes, cost of entertainment, etc. In most places, the cover charge is solely to pay the bouncers' salaries and/or the entertainment for the evening (for example: generally a 50/50 split of the door between bouncers and band in a trendy club). Many bars have ladies nights, as opposed to the equal opportunity system of ladies nights followed by a men's night or something, because ladies are simply an easier, more pleasant, lower risk crowd when drinking. Get a group of rowdy men and alcohol together and any bouncer or bartender will tell you how the quality of the night goes downhill for everyone around when the guys get belligerent, angry, drunk, etc and testosterone starts flowing.

Sure, women get rowdy too, but it is a whole different ball game than guys, and crowd control is a whole different in dealing with women rather than men. HEnce "ladies nights". Also, women spend more money in a bar as a rule. Sounds odd - you'd think the guys would spend more money what with trying so hard to take women home, impress them, etc, wouldn't you? Nah - you would not believe how many men tip hard when their date is watching only to do the "slide and tuck" (slip the tip back in the pocket on the sly) once she goes to powder her nose. Who steals your beer at the bar while you are turned around? A man, 9 out of ten times. So ladies nights are a) absolutely discriminatory, b) marketing for women only with no desire to increase the sales to men and c) a way to control who you let in your bar without having to become a private club.

Just a few random points from the cooler. Pass the Guinness...

[erik_kosberg]

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmp...ladies_night_2

The Assembly voted 78-0 to approve a bill making it legal for bar owners and others to offer special promotions such as charging women different prices for drinks. The measure was designed to specifically overturn that June 1 ruling.