Bars Won’t Close Their Doors at 3 a.m.

Deputy Mayor Ryan Bern announced on Tuesday that the administration is scrapping the part of its proposal that would require bars to close their doors at 3 am, reports Ryan Naquin of Fox 8. In late January, Mayor Mitch Landrieu proposed the early closure as part of his $40 million security plan, which immediately met with a strong condemnation from the hospitality industry.

By late February, 20 bar owners and industry professionals released a letter to City Council condemning Landrieu’s plan. The letter was drafted by 12 Mile Limit owner T. Cole Newton.

Alex Fein, French Quarter Business League President, expressed concerns that the 3 am closures could send the message that New Orleans is not open for business like it has been in the past.

After the meeting with opposition from the hospitality industry, Landrieu backed down from that part of the security measure.

The administration plans to move forward with other aspects of the plan, such as requiring bars to post surveillance cameras outside their businesses. City Council still must approve that plan.

New Orleans isn’t the only place where nightlife has been threatened by new city ordinances. In 2015, bars and restaurants in Charleston banded together to fight a “Late Night Zoning” ordinance that carved two hours off last call in some areas of the city.