ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. – Following an order from Gov. Ron DeSantis to close bars and nightclubs in Florida for 30 days, the city of St. Augustine announced Tuesday afternoon that alcohol will not be served to anyone within city limits during the same time frame.
Additionally, St. Augustine’s city manager decided to shut down it’s trolley service for 15 days. Parking meters will not be enforced until further notice.
Restaurants in the nation’s oldest city can still be open for business, but they won’t be serving alcoholic beverages.
DeSantis’ call for bars to close began at 5 p.m. on St. Patrick’s Day. Stephen Rowland, the general manager of Prohibition Kitchen, said his restaurant is allowed to remain open, but the governor’s order has implemented a 50% capacity for restaurants.
“Obviously, going to be a shock to us. It came on kind of out of nowhere,” Rowland said. “We’ve made sure the tables are about six feet apart, eliminate some of the larger groups that are together.”
Other businesses that only have bar licenses will be shut down for a month, leaving dozens of employees without work.
The restrictions haven’t stopped crowds from coming to St. Augustine. Thousands were seen throughout the city on St. Patrick’s Day. Some people weren’t concerned, while others were keeping their distance.
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