City of Melbourne considering new restrictions for bars, restaurants selling alcohol past 11 p.m.

MELBOURNE, Fla. - The last call for drinks at restaurants and bars could come earlier as Melbourne city leaders consider a new ordinance they believe will curb crime.

Over the past few years, downtown Melbourne’s gotten busier, and crime is intensifying. To increase overall safety, city staff wants restaurants and bars selling alcohol to close at 11 p.m. unless they obtain a special permit.

The staff made their pitch to local owners at a town hall meeting on Thursday, with some owners calling the proposal a power grab by the city because the new special permit would cost owners $500 every three years. They’re worried the proposed changes could crush the business they’ve worked hard to build.

"This will shut down businesses. You will kill small businesses in Melbourne. If you’re okay with that – you guys, you go do what you’re doing," said one business owner who addressed Melbourne, staff, during an open comment period.

"You’re restricting our sales, our revenues. If a guest comes in at 11 and wants to buy a bottle of wine, sorry we can’t do it unless we buy the $500 special permit," added another.

Restaurant and bar owners are upset saying the city’s new proposal to curb violence downtown will only cut into their bottom line.

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"They don’t care about illegal guns and firing off in the street," added another downtown business owner. "They don’t care about how many ordinances you have or how many times we pay $500."

Here’s what the city is proposing: Any restaurant or bar that wants to sell alcohol past 11 p.m. including on weekends would have to obtain an extended hours' alcohol permit. Owners would submit a floor plan of the business and what security features like cameras, weapon detectors, and crowd control measures are in place.

The city would look those over and see if more safety enhancements are needed. If the businesses comply, they would be issued a permit. If crimes and other issues occur, permits could be suspended or revoked.

"It concerns our entire community, and we’re losing business because people aren’t coming downtown because they’re scared. They’re scared of the violence. They’re scared to get hurt," added Melbourne’s police chief David Gillespie who believes the ordinance wouldn’t hurt business but would actually bring people back to the area.

The city says crime reduction is the goal and restaurants and bars need to be part of the solution, but business owners say changing the city code won’t keep criminals from coming in.

"I see this as a very very bad idea."

Thursday’s meeting was step one in an ongoing safety discussion with stakeholders. A couple of dozen business owners in attendance said they plan to come back to the city with a counter-proposal. Following feedback and discussion, the city council would like to see a new ordinance put in place by 2024.