Tampa City Council Suspends Liquor Licenses For Three Bars

TAMPA, Fla. – Three Tampa bars will shut down temporarily after being cited violations for people not wearing masks.

Tampa City Council held a special hearing on Monday to determine the punishment for the ‘violations.’ The businesses were cited violations after code enforcement visits to the establishments in December and January.

On February 22nd, the City Council heard from bar owners and the public.

Mike Hayes opened his public comments in February by saying, “The idea that you are just doing your jobs and it is ok to destroy a business — that ‘this is what we’ve been told so we have to do it and that public comments are irrelevant’ is pathetic and a disgrace to our city. This is about control, power, and money.”

Hayes cited a Hillsborough Board of County Commission meeting in July and August of 2020 which lists exemptions of mask-wearing.  Additionally, most commented on the confusion of walking to a table with a mask but taking it off at the table, as well as other confusing and debilitating rules and regulations. 

Three-day suspensions were handed down to MacDinton’s and Club Skye. However, MacDinton’s was given the ‘ok’ to shut down on March 18th, after St. Patty’s day.

Club Skye will close its doors tomorrow, March 9th, for the three-day suspension.

Club Prana, in Ybor City, will be shut down for seven days, starting April 5th. A lengthier suspension due to multiple violations.

The Ritz and King Corona avoided the suspensions at today’s special City Council meeting.

Prior to the hearing today, the city and multiple bars agreed on settlements which included both the suspensions and the incorporation of new safety measures.