After Hayward’s City Council lifted the six-year ban on happy hour June 19, some local restaurants say they have seen an increase of sales up to 5 percent.

“[Happy hour] has helped our business a little bit,” said Tony Everfield, General Manager for Mimi’s Café in Hayward. “We have more people coming in and our alcohol sales went up, which is good.”

Everfield said Mimi’s Café saw a 5 percent increase since happy hours were allowed on a trial basis last June.

Jordan Nari, General manager for Elephant Bar Restaurant in Hayward, said the restaurant had seen a 3 percent increase in sales.

However, not all restaurants have benefitted, according to Hayward City Councilmember Mark Salinas, who said Bijou Restaurant and Bar has not seen an increase in sales.

Hayward Councilmembers deliberated on new alcohol regulations at the Hayward City Council meeting Dec. 4., which would “ensure future alcohol-serving uses will be operated in a safe and responsible manner and contribute positively to Hayward,” and “develop more aggressive ways to proactively and immediately shut down undesirable businesses,” according to the city council agenda.

The city’s alcohol regulations were originally adopted in 1993, with the objective to “stem the proliferation of establishments selling alcoholic beverages within the city,” according to the ordinance.

These regulations were revised in 2006 in order to match state alcohol laws, which enforce alcohol sales by volume instead of the percentage of the floor area. Between 2006 and June 19, Hayward bars and restaurants were not allowed to have happy hours.

“Prohibition of happy hour has meant Hayward restaurants are at a competitive disadvantage compared to our neighbor communities,” said Kim Huggett, President and CEO of the Hayward Chamber of Commerce, who attended the city council meeting to speak on behalf of several Hayward restaurants, including Buffalo Bills, Neumanali, Buon Apettito, Shark Shack, Bijou, and The Mexican Restaurant and Bar.

“The prohibition reduces income and city sales tax, and it affects jobs because restaurants don’t need staff to handle the after-work crowd that goes to communities that have price promotions,” said Huggett.

Hayward Police Chief Diane Urban said the new regulations being discussed would allow the city to shut down businesses that have continuous problems with irresponsible and sometimes confrontational drinkers. She says, Hayward is taking a “proactive” approach to preventing these conflicts involving alcohol.

“We have had businesses in the city of Hayward not be cooperative,” said Urban, “and with those regulations moving forward, that would give us the ability to quickly move, rather than going through a long drawn out court process.”

Hayward’s alcohol regulations will be debated further at a “community meeting” on Dec. 11, and “planning commission work session” on Dec. 13, according to the city council agenda. The city will revise the policies based on the feedback from these meetings and will return with “proposed code changes” in Spring 2013.