Will three Tampa bars lose liquor rights for coronavirus violations?
City Council has the power to suspend or revoke the ability of offenders to serve alcohol.
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Crowds gather on 7th Avenue as they celebrate New Years Eve at nightclubs and restaurants in Ybor City. [ LUIS SANTANA | Times ]
Updated Jan. 6
TAMPA â Requiring patrons to wear masks, socially distance and remain seated is no easy task for bar owners.
But three businesses that have been cited twice for violating those coronavirus restrictions are now headed to City Council, to plead that their ability to serve booze not be suspended â or completely stripped away.
Tampa Bay bars and restaurants feel sting of coronavirus enforcement
St. Petersburg has issued 200 citations against businesses, mostly bars and restaurants, who flout local coronavirus rules.
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Five Bucks Drinkery has been cited four times by St. Petersburg officials for flouting local coronavirus rules. Only Five Bucks neighbor, Ringside Cafe, with its five violations, has been cited more. [ MARTHA ASENCIO RHINE | Times ]
Published Dec. 19, 2020
Restaurants and bars in the Tampa Bay area are caught in a showdown between local and state government, and some are paying the price.
But according to local officials, some businesses arenât meeting that standard. Leaders across the Tampa Bay area announced Thursday they are coming down hard on violators â primarily bars and restaurants â slapping them with ordinance violations for flouting local rules regarding masks and social distancing.