If you’ve ever had a particularly raucous night out in Tallahassee, you’re probably familiar with what happens at “last call.” When the bar indicates it’s last call, it means it is the last chance to purchase alcohol before closing time. And like a slightly twisted version of Cinderella, when the clock strikes 2 a.m. the music stops, the lights go up and the bartender stops selling you drinks. This is because of a citywide law that illegalizes the sale of beer, wine and liquor after two in the morning. In addition to that, there were ordinances in place that required most establishments to shut down by 2:30 a.m.
However, these ordinances may soon become nothing but distant memories as Tallahassee joins the ranks of cities like Miami and New York City when it comes to later operating hours for bars and nightclubs. The Tallahassee City Commission voted on January 28 to pass an ordinance that would allow all city establishments that sell alcohol – a category that includes student favorites like Coliseum, Bullwinkle’s and Potbelly’s – to remain open until 4 a.m.
The decision came after several local bar and nightclub owners complained that certain establishments, such as Gaines Street Pies, were able to stay open later due to having a special restaurant license, creating unfair competition. Interestingly, the proposal to create a universal closing time came with a recommendation from city staff to keep all closing times at 2:30 a.m., which was seemingly rejected by the city council in favor of a much later closing time. The new ordinance will apply to all establishments that sell alcohol, which includes old college bar standbys like The Strip, but also includes the slightly more upscale College Town, as well as downtown establishments favored by older Tallahassee residents.
While the old mandated closing time, 2:30 a.m. is no longer in place, the requirement to stop selling alcohol at 2 a.m. still stands, creating somewhat of a paradox. It remains to be seen if bars and nightclubs that used to close earlier will extend their hours or if the new 4 a.m. closing time will have any negative effects.
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Many have come forward in favor of this new ordinance, saying that it will help local businesses, especially those that operate as concert venues like Karma nightclub and Coliseum, both of which host musical guests whose performances often last until well past 2:30 a.m.
While the changes won’t go into effect for 30 days, some Tallahassee locals worry that the new bar closing time will lead to more illegal alcohol sales.
“The fact is when you shut the alcohol down at 2 everybody needs to go home at 2:30,” said Moon owner Scott Carswell in the Tallahassee Democrat. “There’s nothing else to do. They’re not sobering up; they’re not eating food. They’re there socializing and drinking.”
The new laws are also projected to affect other industries as well, including local Uber drivers, taxi services and food delivery services. It will certainly be interesting to see how the later closing time will impact a college town that is somewhat infamous for it’s rowdy nightlife, and whether or not students will stay out until 4 a.m. now that they are legally able to.