Starting today, bars and nightclubs in the Downtown Entertainment Area will be required to have a new permit in order to sell alcohol after midnight, but according to the City of Orlando, only a few bars have been issued an “After Midnight Sales Permit.”
Of the 80 documented bars and nightclubs in downtown Orlando, only 51 have applied for the new permit, with only 26 of them having been issued a special decal by the city to operate late into the night, including:
- Aloha Beautiful
- The Attic/The Basement
- Bellhop
- Bullitt Bar
- Casey’s on Central
- Chillers
- Clandestino
- Corona Cigar Company
- Crow and Co.
- Downtown Pourhouse
- Ember
- EVE Orlando
- Fuel
- Hen House
- High Tide
- Hooch
- Irish Shannon’s
- Kush Gallery and Lounge
- Mathers Social House
- Taco Kat
- The Robinson
- Shakai Sushi Lounge
- Shine
- Sly Fox Pub
- Swiggs
- The Vanguard
The permit, which was approved last month, requires businesses to display their hours of operation and occupancy numbers alongside the decal. In order to have a permit issued, bars must use a metal detector wand if they have more than 50 people inside at a time. All bars will use I.D. scanners between the hours of 10 p.m. and 2 a.m. as well. Some of the larger clubs with higher capacities are also required to hire off-duty officers at a rate of $90/hour.
If they fail to keep a log of their occupancy numbers or are found to not be compliant in any way, the bars could be forced to lose their permit and their ability to sell alcohol after midnight.
The City of Orlando gave downtown bar operators just three weeks to submit for the new permits, which cost $250 to register.
The deadline to apply for a permit is May 1, 2023.
