bosstrabs
You’re not wrong, it’s just stupefyingly complicated. If you have a “stage” your eligible for different rules. Whoever decides what a stage is….god only knows. If you have seats available, different eligibility. Some licenses require you to have your revenue be 51% food rather than booze to allow <18’s. It really depends on what license you bought or are eligible or willing to pay for. If you’re buying a club, it’s just easier to stick with >21. It’s arcane and in place as a default tax on businesses.
And here in California you have the ABC. Alcohol Beverage Control. They’re police but they’re police who usually fucked up - beat somebody up on camera or something - so they get stuck with ABC duty. That means they’re absolute cunts of the highest order, bitter, and a complete pain. Best to steer clear of them as much as you can. Keeping it >21 is just easier. This one spot whose owners I know was messing about too much - people hanging out well past closing, smoking cigarettes outside after-hours. ABC mobbed in there specifically on a Friday night, cuffed everyone (which they can do) and arrested the manager so that he’d be stuck in the clink until the courts opened on Monday. Bell. Ends.