Dunedin’s downtown business owners want to turn a slow summer into a strolling happy hour, asking city leaders to let customers carry drinks along parts of Main Street. The proposal would create a tightly controlled open-container district, but commissioners have not yet agreed to put it to a vote.
More than a dozen restaurant, bar, cafe and brewery owners made their case at a July 9 City Commission meeting, saying summer sales are sagging while operating costs keep climbing. Jason Seibert, who owns Flanagan’s Irish Pub and Rosie’s Tavern, told FOX 13 News that many restaurants are down 20% or more and are paying substantially more for goods.
The proposed “Sip and Stroll” district would allow legal-age customers to buy drinks from participating businesses and carry them through designated downtown areas in city-approved cups. The idea is modeled on Largo’s recently launched program, with limits that could include set operating hours, a two-drink maximum and a ban on walking around with drinks in cans, bottles or glasses, according to Tampa Bay Beacons.
Businesses See A Revenue Play, Not Just A Drinking Perk
Seibert argued that Dunedin is losing visitors, energy and spending to nearby Safety Harbor and Largo, while downtown merchants are trying to keep pace with higher costs. The cup program could also give the city a small new revenue stream if officials sell branded cups to participating businesses…