Why Is Happy Hour So Popular

We finished our first sensor sweep of the neutral zone. You did exactly what you had to do. You considered all your options, you tried every alternative.

Who doesn’t love a good happy hour? There are no shortages of the boozy hour that happens sometime before dinner. However, do you ever wonder why we love a good bottle of wine and discount on appetizers so much? At times, the idea of happy hour after work can be more exciting than going home. Strangers, Booze and cheap food. Yes, sign me up. Yet, how did this whole craze start?

Drinking or Marketing

On a few occasions I have heard that Happy Hour was started as a marketing ploy. It is the time of day that restaurants are least busy. To encourage more customers to come at a time they usually wouldn’t, the offer deals to entice them. It can also attract a crowd that usually wouldn’t patron because they couldn’t afford the restaurant full price. They are attracted to the specials and keep the restaurant busy at a time that it is usually very quiet.

That philosophy makes sense to me because most people would go home after work and prepare for dinner. But who wouldn’t make a detour on the way home for snack size portions and cheap drinks?

Prohibition

Another thing I have heard is that drinking before dinner has its roots in the Prohibition era. It has been said that people would host “cocktail hours”, also known as “happy hours” before eating at restaurants where alcohol could not be served. It is the birth of the cocktail lounge and this trend of drinking before dinner seems to have continued.

While I couldn’t find anything that stated happy hour is for the purpose of being social, it seems like such a social activity. Free drinks are cool and so is discounted amazing food. However, how many people have you met at happy hour. How many people found their job through a networking happy hour. While it is completely uncivilzed to stand and eat dinner, you can look absolutely classy standing while drinking a happy hour martini.

If You Ask Me

My personal opinion is that they call it Happy Hour because for a short time, we get to forget our cares with a tasty alcoholic beverage. While happy hour can be amazing, it is important to remember the rules. Don’t blow off your responsibilities for a few drinks, drink responsibly and never drink and drive to name a few.

Typically, Happy Hour starts around 4PM but more recently I have seen earlier happy hours. One of my favorite sushi restaurants starts around 3pm. A wine bar I frequent has all day happy hour on Tuesdays. Think about it, on a rainy Tuesday when you would usually go home, you could be convinced to be slightly social for discounted drinks. Yes, they are fun but for businesses, a well-executed happy hour can do so much more. It can create brand loyalty, increase sales, and even bring new people.