Salamanca venues are banking on a pre-dawn boom this Saturday, throwing open their doors at 3am to pour beers for soccer fans before sunrise.
The state government has granted extended trading hours to venues with a general or club licence, allowing them to screen Australia’s World Cup clash with Egypt.
The match kicks off at 4am Tasmania time, with the winner to face Argentina or Cape Verde in the next round.
Venues can stay open overnight and keep trading until the final whistle.
At the Pavilion in Salamanca, owner Blair Brownless said the early start could be huge.
“This is fantastic because this is sort of an entry point into that real late-night market,” Brownless told Pulse.
“We’ll be open at 3am for warm-up drinks and then 4am game against Egypt. So it’s going to be huge.”
He is expecting a packed house, pointing to a similar early kick-off earlier in the tournament.
“The last game that was on at 5am, that game against the USA, the actual venue was heaving,” he said.
“The beers were flowing at 5am, that is for sure.”
Brownless said the Pav would run a happy hour to mark the occasion.
A few doors down at Botanica, director Brad Saxby is also reopening at 3am and pouring $8 pints.
“We think it’ll be on fire. We think it’ll be electric,” Saxby said.
He said the move sent a strong signal to struggling hospitality businesses.
“Business at the moment is tough and one of the big things people cut back on is discretionary spending around nightlife,” Saxby said.
“To see them putting in the effort around nightlife economy is a fantastic thing to see.”
Both operators want late licences to become a regular fixture for major overnight sporting events.
Tasmanian Chamber of Commerce and Industry acting chief executive Colleen Reardon told Pulse the chamber welcomed the “practical initiatives”.
“Giving hospitality businesses the flexibility to meet customer demand during major events is a sensible outcome for businesses, patrons and the broader economy,” she said.
Premier Jeremy Rockliff said the extension was about bringing communities together.
“The Socceroos have inspired the nation and this weekend Tasmania will be right behind them,” Rockliff said.
“Bring your scarf, wear your colours and let’s get behind Australia.”
