Tijuana bars, discos and other commercial establishments that sell alcohol have a new issue at hand: the city government has mandated that they must comply with the municipal closing times and stop selling alcohol after-hours.
In the past years, these businesses were covered by the “extra hours” policy, which allowed Tijuana’s bars and nightclubs to operate until the morning hours. This benefit has been indefinitely suspended in an effort to decrease the social unrest and criminal activity that affects the city as a result of, according to Tijuana’s mayor, the “uncontrolled alcohol expenditure that affects this city”.
Businesses that fail to comply will receive a hefty fine, and upon a second violation, they can have their doors closed by city inspectors.
Current alcohol sales hours will be:
self-service stores (oxxo’s, supermarkets, etc.): 10am to 10pm
restaurants, billiard rooms and liquor stores: 10am to 12am
bar-restaurants and turistic bars: 10am to 2am
karaoke and musical bars: 10am to 3am
February 19th, 2010 at 5:12 pm
It’s important to bear in mind that our normal closing times were not changed by the city’s current policy.
After-hours permits have been part of our bar scene ever since our first cantina but they are also, and quite literally, the exception to the rule. Most establishments have been content to serve alcohol within the normal day; those few that feel they can make a lot more money serving until 3:00am or 4:00am have been able to pay per hour for the privilege.
Our current administration has suspended the issuance of these permits, arguing that it hopes to reduce alcohol-related traffic accidents as a consequence, but the city still retains its authority to issue such permits in the future.
Our current administration is morally conservative and, to judge by the fallacious and incoherent arguments it used to institute this policy, it most likely has an ulterior motive. But it also might very well be voted out of power within the year, so we may as well just wait and see.