Council members vote ‘No’ to Cape Coral’s late bar hours

CAPE CORAL, Fla. – Cape Coral council members voted 5-3 to end a pilot program that extended bar hours from 2 a.m. to 4 a.m.

Now bars will be mandated to close at 2 a.m. starting Friday.

The final decision was a devastating blow to business employees like Lynn Disomma, a manager at Dixie Roadhouse.

“I would have much rather seen Cape Coral move forward and, again, this is a huge disappointment,” she said.

The late bar hours in Cape Coral’s southern district were first approved a year ago. In that year, concerns about crime have intensified. The number of calls made to police between midnight and 6 a.m., which is two hours after bars close, have increased by nearly 300 percent, according to a police study.

The increased number of calls has been paired with more arrests, too. But dozens of businesses have opened in the area since the pilot program was introduced.

Business owner Ozzie Morrobel said he is opening two restaurants in the southern district and had planned to keep them open until 4 a.m.

“Just a few years ago, we would have never thought about coming to Cape Coral, but after seeing all the growth and changes, we wanted to bring our business over,” he said.

He and other owners now face the disappointment of two less hours of business.

Police had asked the city council to consider tightening security in the entertainment district. Before the decision Cape Coral Police Department Det. Sgt. Dana Coston said he wanted officers to be able to build rapport during assigned patrols.

But Councilman Jim Burch spoke out against hiring more officers and extending the late-hour program.