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Cheap drinks entice students

As the student population grows in South Pinellas, bar owners seek ways to attract a younger crowd.

By CRISTINA SILVA
Published April 15, 2007

GULFPORT - Nearly six nights a week, after he has studied to the point where he can study no longer, Stetson University law student Frank Santini puts on his aviator sunglasses, grabs some buddies and a few dollar bills, and heads to O'Maddy's bar, where unwinding means cheap drinks and endless hours of karaoke.

There, he and his friends carry full pitchers of beer as they dance to classic top 40 tunes.

And if they really want to loosen up, Thursday is "Kill the Keg" night, where for only $1 bar patrons can drink all the Busch beer they can handle until it runs out.

With more college students living in South Pinellas than ever before, bar owners are increasingly offering cheap all-you-can-drink specials and live music to lure youthful revelers. College students say youth-friendly bars are long overdue in the St. Petersburg area, which unlike Tampa or even Clearwater, has never been known for having a lively nightlife scene.

But with more bars catering to the college-age crowd, some police officials and residents say they have already started to see an increase in late-night rowdiness. They worry about the potential for students driving under the influence or engaging in underage drinking.

In Gulfport, where O'Maddy's is just one of a handful of waterfront bars offering cheap drinks, the Police Department has recently increased its nighttime foot patrols and plans to keep a close eye on the bars, Lt. Robert Vincent said.

"We are checking to make sure as often as we can that people aren't drinking underage," Vincent said.

Between Eckerd College and the University of South Florida in St. Petersburg and Stetson University College of Law in Gulfport, there are more than 6,000 college students in South Pinellas.

Last fall, USF opened its first dorm in St. Petersburg, bringing in an extra 354 students living in the area full time.

At Ferg's Sports Bar and Grill in St. Petersburg, students can get their fill of all the domestic beers their livers can handle for $10 on Thursdays in an event dubbed "Sink or Swim."

Since the bar started hosting the event eight months ago, college-age clientele has begun stopping by other nights of the week, said owner Mark Ferguson.

"Of course, they don't have as much money to spend as older people," Ferguson said. "We don't really make any money on Thursdays, but it's good advertising."

In Gulfport, O'Maddy's is the original college bar. Every other week the bar hosts a paper, rock, scissors game tournament.

"It's good business," said Kim Fowler, manager of O'Maddy's. "Stetston kids come every night unless they are on spring break or something. We even get the ones who graduate and still come back."

Bar owners say they will not serve anyone who is not at least 21 years old, and that most are responsible about their liquor consumption.

"I would say 90 percent of the time everyone just drinks and goes home in a taxi," Fowler said.

The Gulfport Police Department routinely receives complaints that bars are serving underage drinkers, but so far the reports have been unfounded, Vincent said.

In St. Petersburg, police say youth-friendly bars are not contributing to more underage drinking.

"I am not aware that it is a problem anymore than it has ever been," said St. Petersburg Police Department spokesman Bill Proffitt.

But the drinking parties have drawn complaints from other business owners and residents who worry the bars are promoting binge drinking.

In Gulfport, where many of the bars sit near apartments and homes, some residents have complained about loud music and late-night revelry.

"We can cater to all ages. I just think we need to not create inappropriate situations," said Lori Russo, president of the Gulfport Chamber of Commerce. "The bar owners need to be responsible and not just let these kids get stupid drunk."

On a recent night at O'Maddy's, Santini dismissed any accusations of alcohol abuse as he waited for his turn at karaoke so he could sing a Journey song.

"When we come here, we can just do whatever we want," he said. "People are responsible. They know to cut people off when they have had too much."

College life

Local bars say it is good marketing to offer discounted drinks to attract the area's growing college population.1,750 Students at Eckerd College in St. Petersburg.3,422 Students at the University of South Florida in St. Petersburg.1,030 Students at Stetson University College of Law in Gulfport.

[Last modified April 14, 2007, 20:31:34]