If all goes well for DeKalb’s liquor merchants, last call on Thursday nights will be an hour later.

DeKalb bar owners and alcohol vendors are asking the DeKalb City Council to amend the municipal code to state that places which serve intoxicating liquors can close at 2 a.m. on Friday mornings.

The current code states that the closing hour on Friday mornings must be 1 a.m.

A letter was sent to DeKalb Mayor Greg Sparrow, signed by several bar owners and liquor store owners asking for a change in the code. The letter stated that because of the elimination of “Happy Hours” and the rise in the tax on liquor, the bars and stores need to remain open to make up for money lost.

The owners of The Jungle, 1027 W. Hillcrest, McCabe’s, 323 E. Lincoln Highway, Amnesia, 1000 W. Lincoln Highway, Otto’s, 118 E. Lincoln Highway, and American Liquors Inc., 159 W. Lincoln Highway were among those who signed the letter.

“The staff really has no significant position to take on the policy. We don’t see this one extra hour a week having any significant impact on the operations of the city,” said Assistant City Manager Gary Boden. “We consider this primarily policy matter,” Boden said.

“Thursday night tends to be a party night in the campus community,” he said. However, Boden said he doesn’t see one additional hour per week making a big difference.

Glenn Goering, owner of McCabe’s Lounge and Entertainment, 323 E. Lincoln Highway, said a 2 a.m. closing hour will help his business.

“The problem is consumption of alcohol is going down,” he said.

Goering said bar owners and liquor store owners have asked for the extension of hours before.

“Somehow I’ve got to create more revenue,” he said. “I can either have a cover charge or stay open an extra hour.”

Goering said because federal and city taxes have climbed, he needs to compensate for that.

“Around here, you only make money three nights out of the week—Thursday, Friday and Saturday,” he said.