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South Jersey Bars Encouraging Customers Not To Drink And Drive With Free Wings

SWEDESBORO, N.J. (CBS) — A group of South Jersey bars are taking a unique approach to deter drinking and driving with a "ticket rewards program."

The tickets look real, and read in bold, "VIOLATION, NOTICE TO APPEAR."

But the fine print is not what any driver would be expecting: "5 free wings, our thanks for not drinking and driving."

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"You're walking up to your car and you're like, 'I got a ticket.' You're already kind of having an emotional response. You get to the car, you pick it up and read it. You flip it over and that emotion swings from being annoyed and pissed off, to, 'You got me,'" explains Greg Wright, director of operations for the Village Pubs and Cinder Bar.

ticket rewards prgrm
Credit: The Village Pub

That's exactly what happened to Nick Bozzelli, his sister, Amanda Bozzelli, and his girlfriend, Jenna DiBartolo, when he decided to leave his car at The Village Pub in Swedesboro last weekend.

"This weekend I went to the pub with my sister and girlfriend, ate and had some drinks, and was not in a condition to drive. I find this on my windshield when I pick my car up in the lot the next day. Always make smart decisions," Bozzelli writes.

Bozzelli says his sister Amanda deserves all the credit.

"She was the one who drove my girlfriend and I home and was responsible enough to not drink that night," said Bozzelli.

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Wright, who oversees two Village Pub businesses and the Cinder Bar in the area, tells CBS Philly the rewards program spawned off of a few ideas by his marketing team. They began implementing the program this summer.

"At 2:30- 3:00 a.m., when our staff is leaving, everybody grabs a couple and papers the cars that are in the lot," he says. "There might be people that might have a little too much and it might sneak up on them and we're encouraging them to make a good choice."

Wright says patrons redeem a handful of these tickets a week and hopes more continue to make the smart decision not to drive under the influence.

"You know, if we make a dent in it, if it saves one person, it's worth the cost of printing it," said Wright.

Those who receive a "ticket" can cash in on the free wings at the following locations: The Village Pub in Sewell or Swedesboro, New Jersey, the Cinder Bar located in Clarksboro, New Jersey, and any of the Ciconte's group restaurants in South Jersey.

 

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