Barflies in Tampa, St. Petersburg and Clearwater are no strangers to being the last ones watering themselves at 3 a.m., but Treasure Island might soon extend drinking hours, too.
Today the Treasure Island City Commission will vote on whether to extend the hours during which alcohol can be sold to 3 a.m. The Pinellas beach town — home to hot nightlife spots like CJ’s On The Island and Ka’Tiki — is the only place in the county where last call happens at 2 a.m..
According to BN9, CJ’s owner Josh Leal is one of many local business owners asking city leaders to make last call 3 a.m. Leal told the station that he notices patrons wanting to drive to another bar after the 2 a.m. last call. At that hour, according to Leal, the nearest open bar is just a mile or two away.
Some residents have expressed concern, but Treasure Island City Manager Garry Brumback said that he’s changed his mind after being skeptical at first. Brumback told BN9 that he’s only heard support for the proposal, and that he has no reason to believe it won’t pass.
Leal, according to the station, is all for it. He said that a change to alcohol sale hours gives him a chance to get his customers out in one shot and have CJ’s security or staff call them taxis or rideshare drivers.
“It’s a lot easier to control the crowd,” he said about a blanket 3 a.m. last call for Pinellas. “They’ve got no other options after that.”
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This article appears in Jun 13-20, 2019.