CHICOPEE, Mass. (WGGB/WSHM) - If you work the second shift, one local bar is making sure the doors stay open a little longer for the people who work while we sleep. It’s all due to a new state pilot program allowing bars to stay open until 3am this summer.

For years, if you got off work at midnight — you had maybe an hour to grab a drink before last call. But now, the Rumbleseat is the first location in our area to push that clock back to 3 a.m.

State law was passed to help fans watch international sports — in particular the top soccer tournament that has taken over Boston the past month. Owner Bill Stetson said he’s taking a different approach — using the extra time to serve the ‘hidden’ workforce. He plans to keep the kitchen open until 1 a.m. on select nights, giving nurses, first responders, and factory workers a place to decompress after a long shift.

Stetson said it’s about giving these workers a sense of normalcy, “we might create an industry night really focused on the frontline workers at Baystate, Mercy, and the first responders that get off shift at midnight. And then anybody that works the second shift. I personally spent 10 years working the second shift in a factory. So, I know what it’s like to get out of work at midnight, and everyone else is going to sleep.”

The pilot program runs through July 31st. The Chicopee License Commission will be looking for feedback from the bar after the summer to see if these extended hours should become a permanent fix for the city’s night owls. Now, don’t expect the doors to be open until 3 a.m. every single night. The owner said they will play it by ear — focusing on Thursdays and Fridays to start.

You can check their Facebook and Instagram page to see which nights they are staying open late.

Copyright 2026 Western Mass News (WGGB/WSHM). All rights reserved.