LAFAYETTE, La. (KLFY) – Mardi Gras season will have new restrictions since the city council unanimously voted to cut off alcohol sales in bars at midnight.

News 10 reached out to some Hub city bar owners to get their reactions. In comparison, there are two types of those who are in favor or disagree with the city council’s decision. 

LaRhonda Carter, the owner of Bliss Cocktail Lounge in Downtown Lafayette, said that “I would not be able to stay in business. Definitely, for me, I would have to literally find another profession or something else business-wise. This definitely would not work out for me.” 

Most of her sales increase around midnight until 2 a.m., so the new rule negatively impacts her business. 

“Most people are out doing the parading and things like that during the day, so you know, they’re looking for, you know, bars and clubs and things to hang out to continue to, you know, party for Mardi Gras,” she said. 

However, Phil Lindon, the owner, and management of Miami Moon, said what affects some club owners or night bar owners will only affect some. He has been serving the Lafayette community for 39 years and running the business on Simcoe Street for 25 years. 

“Out of 39 years, I have only stayed open probably after 12 o’clock, maybe five years. My personal reason is that people begin partying on the Wednesday or Thursday prior to Mardi Gras, and I just want the safety of the community and the safety of the people in our neighborhood to be able to go from wherever they’ve been partying to get to their destination,” said Lindon. 

For him, it is all about safety as it is the city council and Lafayette Police Department’s primary objective.  

“I would say for me, money is secondary, safety is primary,” he said, speaking exclusively about his business. “It’s just like when you come through Miami Moon over here, we have a metal detector at the door, and I just look at it to wear whatever it takes for safety because you can always make money. Don’t make me make money.”

He encourages people to have compassion and think about law enforcement and the sanitation department working during the season. 

“They are getting up early the whole week before Fat Tuesday to get the streets of Lafayette back to the capacity to where we can go from point A to point B. We need them to make sure that they clean up the entire city, and here on Simcoe, we really need it clean up, so therefore, me just suggesting that let it be where safety is first and not money,” he said. 

Lindon added that he enjoys Mardi Gras and all the patrons’ that come out. However, for everyone, he agrees with closing at 12 o’clock this year and suggests anyone who has an issue bring it up again next year. 

“Just maybe you can match dollars and what makes sense,” he said. 

The new rule does not affect businesses that sell alcohol for off-premises consumption, such as liquor stores.