KISSIMMEE, Fla. — Efforts to keep downtown Kissimmee safe for residents, visitors and late-night patrons are under way.

What You Need To Know

  • Kissimmee city leaders are considering making changes to the times bars and restaurants can serve alcohol
  • Currently, establishments can serve drinks until 2 a.m. but some are considering changing it to 1 a.m.
  • Six establishments in downtown Kissimmee rely on late night alcohol sales for their profits
  • There is an open workshop at the Chamber in Kissimmee on Tuesday at 3 p.m. to discuss the issue, followed by a 6 p.m. commissioners meeting

Kissimmee city leaders are considering making changes to the times bars and restaurants can serve alcohol.

Currently, establishments can serve drinks until 2 a.m., but some are considering bumping that time to 1 a.m.

For the popular Matador Tacos and Tapas bar located off of Broadway, alcohol sales on a Friday night mean a great deal for their business.

“They represent a great amount in the sales in comparison to the food,” said Rafael Alcala, a server at the eatery.

City commissioner Janette Martinez, who lives downtown, says public safety is always a concern. But she wants to make sure businesses like Alcala’s continue to thrive.

“I had the opportunity to speak to several business owners. And yes, some of them say that one-third of their alcohol sales come from after midnight,” said Martinez.

A small number of incidents have spread into the streets in past years, prompting concern about late night sales.

One patron says shortening drinking times might be a good idea.

“But if people are still partying here until 3 or 4 in the morning, and you have residents that live in the downtown Kissimmee area and can’t sleep because the music is too loud, it feels very inconvenient for them. And a lot of people will move from the downtown area,” said Jordan Rivera, a Kissimmee resident.

Kissimmee Main Street, a city revitalizing organization that services some 500 businesses in the area, has surveyed residents about the idea of cutting serving times to 1 a.m. or earlier.

Results have been split down the middle.

“What we are seeing is an even amount of people who are like, ‘Close early, we don’t want to become a mini-Orlando, and we don’t want to become a club district.’”

‘But if you close earlier, you are going to affect us,’” said Diana Marrero-Pinto Executive Director of Kissimmee Main Street.

According to the same survey, 75% of those respondents said that if establishments are allowed to remain open until 2 a.m., bars should be responsible for their own extra security.

It has not been determined if this would be a downtown only or city-wide change. 

An ordinance would have to be passed by commissioners.

There will be an open workshop at the Chamber of Commerce in Kissimmee Tuesday at 3 p.m. That will be followed by a 6 p.m. commissioners meeting to discuss the issue.