Many patrons at an open bar often forget the dangers of having no limits on the availability of alcoholic beverages. Beyond the obvious of needing a ride home at the end of the night, there is also a good chance of having their real personality show through. Although when most people think about an open bar they remember the last wedding or private party they attended, there the drink prices were far better than any happy hour as the only money they spent was what they dropped into the tip jar.

Heading out for a night on the town it will be rare to find an open bar that simply gives the booze away free. These places are business to make money and offering a continuous open bar would be contrary to their business plan. However, it occasionally happens that an establishment will set aside a short time during which they will thank their customers for their past business by offering drinks on the house. In most of these instances, the owner will limit the number of free drinks available to each patron in the bar at the time to help them refrain from consuming more than they can handle.

Often times, when a local bar, club or tavern is offering a limited open bar it will be offered spur of the moment. Well, OK the owner probably planned it but did not advertise to make sure the thank you gesture is offered to their regular patrons. However, word can spread quickly and while others may miss out on the free drinks one time, by becoming a frequent visitor of the establishment, they may benefit from an open bar at some future time.

Those new to the night scene may drive around for hours looking for a place that looks promising, and just because they stumble into an open bar does not always mean they will enjoy the atmosphere, the prices and the other patrons. Like many businesses, each locale will have its own personality, derived from the regular crowd of patrons that gather in a bar regularly to meet and greet who they consider to be friends in the bar. It is this familiarity with other patrons as well as the workers in the bar that may prompt the owner to offer a couple of drinks from an open bar as a way to invite them back.

Not all regular clubbers are fickle, following the prices of drinks and while they may be swayed by special events and special open bar prices, they will generally return to the atmosphere in which they feel the most comfortable. They might be tempted by the promise of low drink prices, but if they do not like the music or other patrons, even free drinks may not entice them to return.

It pays to take the time to get to know the bar and its workers, and that usually takes a few visits to determine if the patron and the rest of the group will be able to get along. However, patrons who will not fit in with the bar's crowd generally are aware of that within the first few minutes. Even with an open bar, if they cannot feel comfortable in the surroundings they will not stay.