HERE’S cheers to new laws that mean that for first time since before World War I, all pubs can open on Good Friday.

The legislation regarding holiday trading restrictions for South Australian hotels changed in November, after a two-year review, allowing them “to catch up with the rest of the world”, said Ian Horne, general manager of the local Australian Hotels Association.

“Good Friday is now the same as any other Friday,” he said.

“The hotels don’t have to open, but they can, for meals and drinks, according to their normal Friday trading hours.

“This is the first time since before World War I that pubs will be open in South Australia on Good Friday.

“By pure coincidence, the same is happening for the first time in Ireland.”

Mr Horne said “a handful of hotels in Adelaide may have used special-circumstances licences in the past”.

While pub-goers will be able to eat and drink, gaming facilities will be closed because it falls under a separate Act.

As a public holiday, employee penalty rates of up to 250 per cent will still apply.

“I imagine many hotels in the CBD won’t see enough demand to open, but it will be great for holiday areas and tourists,” he said.

“In the past, in a country town on Good Friday, the only thing open would have been a service station.”

Mr Horne said a number of hotels opened for the first time on December 25, but “it’s still a learning curve, and the consumers probably weren’t ready for it yet”.

He said public holiday trading had “long been quite the norm in other states”.

media_camera Jess Osborne creates Easter cocktails at The Gully Hotel. Picture: AAP / Dean Martin

In Tea Tree Gully, The Gully manager Mike Hooper said the hotel had fielded calls every year about Good Friday trading hours, “and for the first time we’re happy to say yes, the bottle shop and beer garden will be open”.

“Our gaming room and Ubet bars still must be closed,” he said, predicting good demand in other areas. The hotel’s Christmas lunches were always sold out, he said, and its bottle shop was busy on Christmas Day.

The hotel’s function manager, Jess Osborne, said Good Friday would be a chance “to get creative with chocolate cocktails”.

She expected an Irish Egg, made with Baileys Irish Cream served in a chocolate Easter egg, would be a hit.

Ms Osborne said staff had responded well to the new trading rules.

“Good Friday has always been known as the only day we’re guaranteed a day off in hospitality, but I’m yet to hear someone complain,” she said.

A spokesperson for the Catholic Archdiocese of Adelaide said the church recognised people would make their own decisions about how they preferred to spend Good Friday, and that “for our community this is a sacred day when we focus on what matters most to us”.

Some of the pubs that will be open Good Friday:

CBD

Arab Steed, 11am-midnight

Elephant & Castle, 10am-late

Strathmore Hotel, 11am-3am

Woolshed on Hindley, front bar only 8pm-late

Black Bull, 10am-late

SOUTH

The Duck Inn, 11am-10pm

The Espy, 8am-9pm

Woodcroft Hotel, 11am-late

Yankalilla Hotel, 11am-late

Colonnades Tavern, 11am-late

Cove Tavern, 11am- late

WEST

Largs Pier Hotel, 6.30am-11pm

The Moseley, 11am-late

Mile End Hotel, 11.30am-11.30pm

Bartley Hotel, 11am-late

The Highway, 11am-2am

Ramsgate Hotel, noon-10pm

NORTH

Midway Tavern, 11am- late

Settlers Tavern, 11am- late

The Gully, 11am-late

Golden Grove Tavern, 10am-late

Blue Gums Hotel, 10am-late

EAST

Tower Hotel, 11.30am-9pm

The Colonist, 10am-late

The Republic, noon-9pm

For a full list of pubs, bars, restaurants and cafes that will be open Good Friday, visit thesourcesa.com.au from Thursday.