The City of Tampa will begin pursuing suspension/revocation of alcoholic beverage permits for businesses that are repeat offenders (2 or more citations) of the City and County COVID-19 Emergency Orders that impose requirements on businesses with regard to face coverings and the service of alcoholic beverages. These notices of intent to suspend/revoke will go to both the business owner as well as the property owner. The City is authorized under Section 27-318 of the City Code to take action against alcoholic beverage permittees and owners of property from which alcoholic beverages are sold and/or consumed. This enforcement action is in addition to citations that have been, and will continue to be, issued by Code Enforcement and the Tampa Police Department.
“Our goal from day one of the pandemic has been to protect the health and lives of our residents while taking steps to keep businesses open and operating in the safest possible way,” said Mayor Jane Castor. “When the shutdown began we launched OneTampa to provide small business relief and housing assistance for families who lost income due to COVID. When the Governor announced the Phase I reopening, we launched Lift Up Local to provide expanded outdoor space for patrons. We have also recently teamed up with Safe & Sound, an initiative started by a group of restaurant and bar owners that encourages their peers to practice safety protocols during business hours. Over the last several months, we have erred on the side of education and encouragement while relying heavily on the responsibility of our residents to help pull us out of this pandemic and come back stronger than ever. And while the vast majority of our businesses and residents are acting responsibly, we can’t allow a few bad actors to compromise and lengthen the recovery efforts for an entire community.”
Find more information on the City of Tampa’s COVID-19 efforts and Executive Orders here.