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Safe Night Hospitality Resource Guide to Improve Safety and Economic Viability in the Hospitality Industry

Operating a restaurant, bar, tavern, or special event venue that serves alcohol can be a high-risk endeavor. Owners face the dangers of criminal and civil liability from state and local authorities, patrons, and even employees. While most establishments operate safely with an occasional issue, it can be difficult for owners to prove that they are using effective practices that are supported by employee policies and training.

That’s where Safe Night can help.

Retired Nightlife Liaison for Arlington County, Va., Dimitrios “Jim” Mastoras and Molly Mastoras, MA, LPC modeled the Safe Night Out program after a successful effort they created in Arlington, Va., called the Arlington Restaurant Initiative (ARI). Like ARI, Safe Night Out uses the Proactive Alliance relationship-based policing approach, which was developed by Molly Mastoras, a licensed professional counselor. The approach uses adapted evidence-based concepts from counseling psychology to build trust among all stakeholders to improve standards and practices collaboratively for the hospitality
industry.

An evaluation of the Arlington Restaurant Initiative, which Safe Night Out is based upon, found during certain hours the program was effective at reducing alcohol-related crimes including assault and battery/disorderly conduct, drunk in public and DUI. As local, state and federal lawmakers and regulators continue easing pandemic-related regulations, Americans once again will be free to frequent their favorite bar or restaurant, and those establishments will be focused on scaling their operations to meet the revitalized demand. Safe Night Out will help those businesses and communities to reopen safely and reduce alcohol-related harm.

Currently, 87 percent of American adults self-report they are confident they drink responsibly, and since Responsibility.org’s founding in 1991, drunk driving fatalities have declined 36 percent. Recently released preliminary data from the U.S. Department of Transportation shows an increase in impaired driving deaths nationally in 2020 despite a decrease in vehicles miles traveled, showing that the nation still has work to do in the fight to eliminate impaired driving — and proven programs like this are critical for progress.

This guide is meant to inform and support restaurant and bar owners in developing and implementing relevant, effective employee standards, policies, and training in an effort to reduce liability when hiring new employees and welcoming back returning staff—and we are proud to support Jim and Molly as they work to help create safe communities across the country through this critical program.

Visit Safe-Night.com to learn more, and access the cost-free Resource Guide here.

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