Ryan and Ashley Nares are hoping the city of Sterling will let the good times roll a little later downtown.

The couple operate two connected businesses under one roof at 117 W. Third St. in Sterling: The Mercantile restaurant and The Alchemy Ballroom event space. They recently applied for a permit that would extend hours at The Mercantile until 3 a.m. for special occasions, such as the Mercantile Monster Masquerade planned in the ballroom for Saturday, Oct. 25.

Because The Mercantile serves liquor, the restaurant is currently required to close by 1 a.m. If the Sterling City Council approves the permit next month, it would allow them to remain open until 3 a.m., with last call set at 2:15 a.m.

During the Sept. 15 City Council meeting, City Clerk Teri Sathoff outlined the conditions tied to extended-hours permits: Businesses are limited to one permit per month, with a maximum of 12 per year; each application costs $100 and must be filed at least 30 days in advance. Any alcohol-related citation would result in a one-year suspension of permits. The allowances also apply only to indoor events, not outdoor gatherings.

“We’re insanely optimistic. But you kind of have to be with one of the most unique restaurants in Sterling,” Ashley said.

The couple emphasized the request is not about serving drinks longer, but about providing people with a place to stay out late for special events, which they say have drawn growing crowds.

“Last year over 800 people walked through our doors for our Halloween party. Some of them were driving from over an hour away,” Ashley said. “We’ve seen a growing demand from people who want to stay out later for these types of events.”

The couple is hoping for an even bigger turnout at this year’s Halloween bash, which will feature a tattoo station by Ink Storm Rebels, tarot card and rune readers, music, dancing and more. The party will also include The Mercantile’s themed October drink menu, including such cocktails as The Grand Wizard, Miss Argentina, Aunt Agatha and the Georgie: a blood-red martini with vodka, a crimson fruit blend, and pomegranate syrup, finished with a cherry and a signature red balloon.

“Every party we’re hosting, we’re going to bring in some over-the-top, unique vendors,” Ashley said. “We’re doing A Night On The Paper Moon for New Year’s Eve, which will have more of a formal vibe. We have so much cool stuff planned for all of these events this year.”

But hours are not the only thing they hope to expand. They are also preparing to increase The Mercantile’s seating capacity by opening up a wall in the cocktail lounge, creating a larger dining area that will feature darts and other yet-to-be-announced entertainment options. Additionally, the couple also plan to make live performances a regular feature at The Mercantile.

They also recently welcomed another addition to The Mercantile – the former staff of the Gold Leaf Bakery and Dispensary, which was located in Fulton but closed earlier this year after the Fulton City Council voted to ban products with Delta-9, a cannabinoid found in cannabis plants.

“Tori Arbach came to us from Gold Leaf, and she is now our new general manager,” Ryan said. “She’s been phenomenal, and a wealth of knowledge that has let us focus on being creative in the kitchen and giving people more of what they want.”

Since opening last October, the Nares have been moving toward revamping their menu to give customers more of what they want while increasing operating efficiency.

“A lot of businesses will have an idea, something you’re passionate about, and then the area tells you what they’re passionate about, and then you find that overlap while staying true to both as best you can, and that’s what we’re trying to do,” Ryan said. “There are menu items that we could not remove. But we’re also trying to implement more approachable stuff.”

Ashley said one of the “sweet spots” they found was with their appetizers.

“I was like, how can we make these as bougie as possible? So we were doing these black truffle oil, parmesan onion rings, and everybody was loving the food,” Ashley said. “And I thought, OK, we’ve been severely messing up here because it feels like the menu direction would be most receptive going more towards a gastropub, which has a big emphasis on the cocktails and a really chef-driven, elevated bar menu.”

Once finished, the couple hope that their new simplified menu will capture that gastropub vibe, with elevated cocktails, appetizers, and dishes, such as jerk chicken wings, Nashville hot fries, a spicy bacon smash burger, poke bowls and Birria ramen.

For more information, visit themercantilecocktaillounge.com.