Bars In Saint Charles May Have To Stop Serving Drinks At 11 P.M.

ST. CHARLES, MO — The St. Charles City Council is weighing whether bars in the city's historic downtown area will be allowed to continue serving alcohol past 11 p.m. With a vote scheduled for Tuesday, supporters like Councilmembers Dave Beckering, Bart Haberstroh and Mary West say the bill would decrease crime and vandalism.

But bar owners say it could put them out of business and lead to more drunk driving as patrons seek other places to drink after 11.

The bill is backed by the St. Charles Historic Downtown Association, which argues that drunken bar patrons have vandalized nearby businesses, removed plants from planters, and left vomit on sidewalks.

But bar owners feel they are being unfairly targeted, arguing that they often help clean up the streets after their bars close.

“It would be devastating. We do so much business at 11,” Diana Sloan, owner of Lloyd and Harry’s Bar and Grill, told the Post-Dispatch. “The same law should apply everywhere. It should cover our whole ZIP code. It should cover the casino."

The ordinance would impact 18 bars in total:

• Big A's on the Riverfront
• Bobby's Place
• Funke's Bar & Grill
• Grand Opera House
• Krawl Daddy's
• La Tia & Pancho's Cantina & Grill
• Lloyd & Harry's
• Lost Whiskey
• Lywelyn's Pub
• Mr. Thirsty's Bar and Grill
• Picasso's Coffefe
• Uncle Joe's Bar & Grill
• Quintessential
• The Red Sun
• R.T. Weiler's Food & Spirits
• Talayna's World Class Pizza
• Tony's on Main
• Valenti's Deli

The council is scheduled to meet at 9 a.m. Tuesday morning at St. Charles City Hall. The meeting is open to the public.

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