Notoriously dry John’s Pass Village could soon allow open container drinking

The days of alcohol-related fines and citations on Madeira Beach’s John’s Pass Village might be a thing of the past if officials pass a proposed ordinance that would allow tourists and residents alike to stroll along the boardwalk while sipping on an alcoholic beverage of their choice.

WTSP says, Mayor John B. Hendricks is aware that people are drinking out in the open anyways, and the new “wet zone” proposal would drastically reduce the amount of tickets and citations that Madeira's police officers dish out on a daily basis.

Hendrick is confident that the family-friendly atmosphere will remain intact even after John’s Pass Village allows open container drinking.
The proposed ordinance would make most of the area a “wet zone”, except for Gulf Boulevard and Pelican Lane. Due to heavy foot traffic, Gulf is already prone to accidents, while Pelican is a residential street that doesn’t need any tipsy tourists disrupting locals that live there year-round.

Tampa wet-zoned its Riverwalk in 2014 to much acclaim.

With the passage of this ordinance, bars and restaurants of John’s Pass Village could start selling to-go drinks, although public intoxication would still obviously be illegal. There are a handful of bars and restaurants—including Crabby's On The Pass, Sculley’s Restaurant, Mad Beach Fish House and Bamboo Beach Bar and Grill—that sell booze along the popular boardwalk.

The Madeira Beach city commission still has to vote this new ordinance into fruition, but WVTV said that when it was first discussed at a planning commission meeting a few weeks ago, there were no reported objections.


UPDATED 12/17/21 11:45 a.m. Updated to show Crabby's on the Pass moving into the old Gator's. Want to know everything going on with Tampa Bay's food and drink scene? Sign up for our Bites newsletter.