Are you a Twin Cities-based hospitality worker who loves a bargain? Me too. I’m partial to a number of Racket’s Best Budget Bites, and at my regular haunts, a friendly bartender or former coworker might plunk down a free shot or forget to ring in my beer.
But there’s nothing like a trusty discount. That’s where service industry nights come into play.
Most people would say the weekend runs from Friday night through Sunday afternoon, but those are the busiest days of the week for hospitality workers. We’re generally good tippers and great drinkers, so throughout the work week, various bars and restaurants hold service industry nights, wooing us with discounted Fernet and Jameson.
I dug around and compiled this list of restaurants and bars with service industry nights; I hope it helps, but I probably missed a few great spots in St. Paul. If you know of other industry nights or discounts available in the Twin Cities, please mention them in the comments. And remember, as always when you’re getting free or discounted stuff, tip well!
Discounts Available on Multiple Days
Ray J’s | Northeast (OK, not technically, but c'mon) and Woodbury
Both locations of this wing bar will serve you two-for-one drinks after your shift—just bring a clock-out slip or show them your workplace’s scheduling app. They’ll even wait to serve you your second drink until you’re ready for it (such service!).
Jackson’s Hole | Downtown Minneapolis
Sandwiched between the North Loop and downtown Minneapolis, on the same block as 112 Eatery, is this divey bar and grill (and Kansas City Chiefs stronghold). The drinks are cheap to begin with, plus service industry workers get happy hour pricing all day, every day. You’ll almost forget you had to pay for parking.
Zhora Darling | Northeast
This Northeast newbie holds industry night from Sunday through Wednesday from 10 p.m. till 2 a.m. Here’s the deal: 20% off well drinks, wine, and food, plus a $10 beer-and-shot special.
Wild Bill’s Sports Saloon | Blaine and Downtown St. Paul
St. Paul pardners and Blaine buckaroos: Wild Bill’s will sling you buy-one-get-one “you-call-it” liquor cocktails or bottled beers and give you $2 off any regularly priced menu item. All this is available to you any day of the week at any time with your clock-out slip.
Eat Street Crossing | Whittier
This newish food hall is aiming to attract industry workers from Sunday through Tuesday from 8 p.m. till close. Stop by during those hours, and in addition to your ramen or Brazilian pizza, you can nab $3 pours of PBR and Modist Supra Deluxe (now that’s a good deal). There are also $5 shots of Old Forester, J.W. Dant bourbon, Agavales tequila, Fernet Branca, or Malort; $5 glasses of wine; and $2 off menu cocktails.
Sonder Shaker | Northeast
Industry folks get 10% off the bill at any time. Just let your server know where you work.
Barrio | Downtown Minneapolis
Another round-the-clock shebang for industry workers: beers are $4; Barrio margaritas are $7; and you get 50% off your first shot of tequila.
The White Rock Lounge | Lowertown
The hospitality and music industries overlap more than most folks might imagine. After all, what desk job is going to give you three weeks off to tour multiple times per year? St. Paul's White Rock Lounge, a new metal/hardcore venue in Lowertown, honors both hospitality workers and music industry members with “$3 selected shots, $4 tallboys, and $6 THC beverages” from Wednesday to Sunday from 5-7 p.m. and 10 p.m. to midnight.
Sundays
Black Hart of Saint Paul | Midway
This St. Paul LGBTQ+ soccer bar starts industry night at 8 p.m. on Sundays. Restaurant workers can buy $4 domestic beers and rail drinks, and anyone and everyone can shoot free pool and darts! The Black Hart added a big outdoor patio last summer, so take advantage of the nice weather if it’s sunny the next time you’re in St. Paul.
The Birdhouse Eat & Drink | Robbinsdale
This comfy American restaurant offers some of the best bargains of all. Located just west of Minneapolis’s Camden neighborhood, the Birdhouse holds service industry night on Sundays from 6-9 p.m. Stroll in and sip a Hamm’s pint for $3, Hamm’s and a shot of Jameson for $6, Hamm’s and a shot of Fernet for $7, or a cocktail of the moment for $7. Plus: bar food (Midwest sushi, tater tots) ranging from $4-6 and smashburgers for under $10.
Pizza Lucé | Downtown Minneapolis, Seward, St. Paul, Eden Prairie, Richfield, Roseville, and Duluth
Every Pizza Lucé location except Hopkins observes “Sunday Funday & Industry Night” from 9 p.m. till close. Grab a slice of pizza and enjoy $5 rail drinks and house wine, select $5 beers, $2 off wine by the glass, $5 single pours of Jameson, and $2 off select appetizers.
Sports Page | Bloomington
Sports Page offers industry workers a dollar off drinks every Sunday from 9 p.m. to close.
Sundays and Mondays
CC Club | Whittier
According to their website, the CC Club has been pouring beer since the day Prohibition ended—“and probably before that, too.” On Sundays and Mondays, they’ll pour you a $10 pitcher of beer, among other deals.
Knight Cap | Northeast
Knight Cap is one of the many small dive bars tucked into Northeast off University Avenue. The drinks are cheap every day, but on Sundays and Mondays, restaurant workers get a bonus deal: $4 Jameson shots from 10 p.m. to 2 a.m. Bring cash for your tab—no cards are accepted—and feast on mini corn dogs or Heggie’s pizza on the fenced-in patio.
Otter’s Saloon | Northeast
The renowned karaoke bar offers industry workers $5 shots of Jameson or Espolón tequila, $5 White Claw, and $1 off everything else on Sundays and Mondays.
Vegas Lounge | Northeast
This similarly institutional Northeast karaoke bar also pours $5 shots of Jameson—plus $3 rails and tap beers—for industry workers on Sundays and Mondays after 10 p.m. Plus: two-for-one drinks for everyone the hour before karaoke begins.
Mondays
Dark Horse Bar & Eatery | Lowertown
Rumor has it that this Lowertown St. Paul restaurant, owned by the same people who ran Muddy Waters in Uptown, hosts a very good industry night on Mondays. On Facebook, one self-professed Dark Horse employee promised “3-5 dollar drinks on everything u want and spaghetti.” (And spaghetti!) This entails “5 dollar Jameson, fireball, paddy’s, polish, etc.”
On the RoX | Loring Park
This cocktail bar above the Nicollet Diner offers a 50% discount on diner food for folks “in the restaurant, bar, hotel, or travel industry.” While chowing down on French toast or a burger, enjoy another deep discount: three-for-one tap beers, rail drinks, and glasses of wine. All this on Mondays from 6-10 p.m.
Grumpy’s | Northeast
Technically, “Minnesota Mondays” are open to all Grumpy’s patrons, but industry workers are most likely to have Mondays off. Anyone is welcome to partake in half-off beers and liquors from Minnesota every Monday from 3 to 9 p.m. And when you consider how reasonable Grumpy’s beers and liquors are in the first place, that’s a good deal indeed.
Nightingale | The Wedge
This deal is also technically open to anyone, but only insiders know that select bottles of wine are half off at Nightingale on Mondays. This spot is kitty-corner from the CC Club, so start the evening with wine and oysters at Nightingale and cross the street for bar food and beers.
Indeed Brewing | Northeast
Every Monday, all day: buy-one-get-one-free beers at the Indeed Brewing taproom.
The Dive Sport Bar and Grill | St. Anthony
The Dive, formerly known as The Unofficial, offers a beer and a bump for $10 all day on Mondays (plus $10 pizzas from 11 p.m. to close).
Kendall’s Tavern & Chophouse | Coon Rapids
When I picture absurdly cheap pitchers of beer, I think of the Cardinal Bar or the CC Club—dives that have been slinging suds since before I was born. But this restaurant in the Bunker Hills Golf Club is centered around steaks and walleye diners, and on Mondays from 7 p.m. till close, they’ll sell ya $10 pitchers of domestic beer and offer discounted apps to boot.
Wednesdays
Fool Me Once | Lyn-Lake
Is it a late night happy hour or an industry night? This trippy Uptown cantina says “both”! Fool Me Once opened in 2023 in the bygone space of Side Chick, Blue Door Pub, and the Country Bar. According to their website, anyone can order a $5 Grain Belt Premium and “rocket shot” combo plus an assortment of $5-7 apps on Wednesdays between 10 p.m. and midnight.
Thursdays
Masa & Agave | Downtown Minneapolis
There are very few swanky places to listen to a DJ and drink till 1 a.m. on Thursdays in these cities. Masa & Agave, in the former Constantine spot in the basement of the Hotel Ivy, promises to be that spot and has sweetened the deal for industry workers. They’re offering $10 traditional, passion fruit, or tamarind margaritas; $5 “street tacos”; and $15 bottomless guacamole for a maximum of two guests.
