MIAMI BEACH, FLA. (WSVN) - A half-dozen Miami Beach sidewalk cafes are being disciplined for a day after repeatedly violating a new ordinance that removes happy hour and specials signs from the city’s sidewalks.
It’s all part of a conduct crackdown that city officials hope will change those restaurants’ behavior of hawking for customers on the street, using garish signs to advertise specials and false promises of special deals.
“We already travelled through the U.S. for five weeks, and this is completely different,” said tourist Wim Kurvers.
Kurvers is visiting from the Netherlands to tour the country, and he said he has never seen anything like the solicitation of prospective diners by restaurants on South Beach.
“They try to get you to sit at their tables, etc.,” he added. “That is something that I have never seen in the rest of the states.”
The city ordered six Ocean Drive restaurants to not use the sidewalk all day Thursday for tables, chairs and umbrellas, except if the restaurant has a patio that it owns.
According to Miami Beach City Manager Jimmy Morales, the businesses they are focused on for repeated violations of the ordinance, which went into effect on Oct. 1, are as follows:
- The Fritz
- Jalapeno Mexican Kitchen
- Boulevard Restaurant
- Oceans Ten
- Down N’ Dirty Tacos and Tequila Bar
- News Cafe
They can, however, continue to serve people inside.
Morales noted that if any of these businesses place dining tables on city sidewalks, the city has the right to remove the furniture for 24 hours.
“We decided to send a very strong message,” Morales said. “Frankly, for years now, residents and visitors have complained about the hawking, you know, maitre d’s chasing people on the street, trying to get them to go to their restaurant,” Morales said. “It’s very unpleasant. The other restaurants on the street– when they see the other cafes close, I think it’ll change their behavior.”
City officials said they also hope to stop the soliciting, the baiting, the following of guests and to rid the city of “2 for 1” and happy hour signs that, in some cases, contain empty promises and false advertising.
“They have to behave like most civil restaurants do in the rest of the world,” Morales said.
Ocean Drive is not the only location in the entertainment district where city officials are cracking down on the signs. The Miami Beach City Commission voted Wednesday to expand the ordinance to Española Way and Lincoln Road.
7News cameras captured hosts, waitstaff and greeters on Española Way following and trying to get people into restaurants for dinner.
“It’s been a little bit of a race to the bottom with some places,” Miami Beach Mayor Dan Gelber said in July. “Can’t have people grabbing you, showing you plastic food, putting out specials that are not really specials.”
The ordinance will go into effect for Española Way and Lincoln Road in 10 days.
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