PHOTOS BY CHRIS KELLY staff Guys and girls alike enjoy ladies’ night at the Downtown Café in Red Bank. At right, signs such as this, signifying ladies’ night, could soon be a thing of the past in New Jersey.

Just as the social scene shifts into high gear at the Shore, it appears that time may be running out for ladies’ night, a popular promotion calculated to draw flocks of women – and men — to local watering holes.

"I’ve worked in bars from New York City to California and everywhere I’ve worked at has had a ladies’ night. It’s a great idea. It’s a way to appreciate women," said Justin Ruotolo, manager of the Downtown Café on West Front Street, during ladies’ night at the popular night spot last Thursday.

"When you’re getting cheaper drinks, that’s the bar you want to go to," explained Ruotolo from behind the bar at the Downtown, which introduced ladies’ night only a month ago.

"We’re just letting the ladies know that we appreciate them coming in."

According to Ruotolo, prices on certain drinks like flavored martinis and shot specials are discounted for female patrons on ladies’ night, and the pricing has had the desired effect.

"Ladies’ night does do one thing: If women are having a good time, it keeps the guys here," he said.

The New Jersey Division of Civil Rights recently ruled that ladies’ nights, which are basically a way to increase bar tabs by attracting men to bars, are discriminatory and as such should be banned. The ruling was made in response to a complaint filed by male bar patron in 1998.

Lodged against a Cherry Hill restaurant, the complaint filed by David R. Gillespie contended that the practice of offering free admission and discounted drinks to women but not to men on ladies’ night discriminated against him because of his sex in violation of the New Jersey Law Against Discrimination (LAD).

In April, an administrative law judge ruled in favor of Gillespie, granting a motion for partial summary decision, even though the restaurant held a separate men’s night.

Last week, J. Frank Vespa-Papaleo, director of the division, upheld the ruling in the Cherry Hill case finding the practice "is an unlawful discrimination" and ordered a hearing to determine penalties and award of damages.

A press spokesman for the civil rights division said Tuesday the ban on ladies night — at least for the time being — relates only to the complaint filed.

"It is not a blanket ban," said Lee Moore. "Technically speaking it does not ban ladies’ night promotions. But it could have a chilling effect because the civil rights division found in favor of the complainant," he acknowledged.

Moore said the case now goes back to the judge who could decide to extend the ban in the future.

The division’s pronouncement touched off a flurry of media coverage and public comment, including Gov. James E. McGreevey, who called the ban "bureaucratic nonsense" reflecting "a complete lack of common sense and good judgment."

On the local scene, there were plenty of people lined up at the bar who shared those sentiments.

"It’s absolutely ridiculous. It has nothing to do with sexism," said Pete Capella of Red Bank last week during ladies’ night at the Downtown. "It’s just a way to draw people to the bar."

"I think it’s a pretty stupid rule," said Jamian Laviola, proprietor of Echo on Monmouth Street, which had a long-standing tradition of ladies’ night on Thursdays. "It helped business. It made a big difference for us on certain nights."

Laviola acknowledged that it wasn’t just the savings patrons were focused on.

"When you offer a discount for girls, the guys feel there’s going to be girls there. Where the girls are is where they come," he noted. "An overall mind-set is what it’s about."

"I’m a little taken aback," he said about the ban. "I’m taking it [ladies’ night] off my literature and just waiting to see what’s going to happen."

About to lose their discount privileges, the ladies sounded off, too. Lynne Canberg, bartender at the Groove Lounge on Brighton Avenue in Long Branch, weighed in.

"Pretty much, I think a guy that complains about ladies’ night is stupid because they obviously want to get more girls in the place so anything that helps, like discounted admission, is going to get more girls in the place.

"Unless you’re not into girls, I don’t see any reason you would think it’s unfair," said the Manalapan resident. "It’s just … what guy doesn’t want more girls in the place? It doesn’t make sense."

A large, and vocal, contingent of ladies had turned out for ladies’ night at the Downtown.

"It’s getting so out of control. I feel like, what’s the next thing? Will it be the Happy Meal? How far is it going to go?" asked Katy Billon, Matawan.

"Don’t guys like it?" posed Alexis Strozak, Red Bank. "It benefits men more than women. It brings guys out because they know it’s ladies’ night. This is the point!"

"The point of going to a bar is to socialize. Knowing that there’ll be a ladies’ night will bring more women out, yeah, but men will come out because they know that women will be there. It’s sort of [like] affirmative action in the bar," offered Kat Hermida, Red Bank.

Michael Corcoran, Middletown, played devil’s advocate.

"I agree 100 percent," he bluffed. "Ladies get discounts on drinks, and mostly men are paying. Ladies’ night attracts ladies and men want to hit on them, and they pay full price."

"Men don’t buy the drinks anyway," countered his girlfriend Nicole Cavaluzzi, Red Bank.

Her friend, Joelene Guzman, of Middletown, took the bait.

"He’s being a hypocrite because she’s buying the drinks," she said. "I’m completely against the ban because I buy all my own drinks. Nobody buys my drinks."

Tara Macchia, Leonardo, put it all into perspective.

"There are so many ways in which men and women are unequal," she said. "Ladies’ night is not going to really bridge the gap."