Three bars lose liquor license

Mathers, Shots and Joysticks violated pandemic rules.

Three downtown Orlando bars — Mathers, Shots and Joysticks — have had their alcohol license suspended by the state, which said patrons were served “shoulder-to-shoulder” in violation of coronavirus pandemic rules.

Florida’s Department of Business and Professional Regulation suspended the license for Mathers LLC & Dobson Family Trust at 69 E. Pine St. on Tuesday. The state said the licensee, which operates as a bar and restaurant, was open on Aug. 8 and violating the state order.

“Specifically, patrons were being served while standing at the bar area,” the state’s order said. “Patrons were standing shoulder-to-shoulder while congregating at the bar area. Social distancing measures were not being enforced.”

The state didn’t say at which of the three venues the violation took place.

Joysticks said in a Facebook message it had not been open since the state’s order on June 26 suspending alcohol sales for on-site consumption at bars. The arcade bar said it does not have a restaurant license, as restaurants can continue serving alcohol, and had only been open for about five days since March because of curfew and staffing issues.

As part of Florida’s reopening from coronavirus closures, bars could open back up in June with seated service and capacity restrictions, but the state later ordered watering holes that aren’t also restaurants can’t serve alcohol to drink there.

Shots and Mathers could not immediately reached for comment.

Earlier in the day on Tuesday, Shots shared a photo on Facebook from a person praising the bar for enforcing public health guidelines.

“We take tremendous pride in the many steps that we have taken to provide our staff and guests with a safe environment to enjoy themselves in a safe recreational setting,” Shots posted on its

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Facebook page. The state previously suspended the alcohol license of Orlando strip club Le Palace Otown in July and the license for the Knight’s Pub in June. But the state ended up reversing its decision on the suspension of Knight’s Pub’s alcohol license.

“We knew from our end that a mistake had been made,” Michael D’Esposito, an owner of Knight’s Pub, said in July. “There was never really a reason for [the suspension] in the first place.”

Department of Business and Professional Regulation Secretary Halsey Beshears said in July he would be having meetings with bar and brewery owners to talk about how to reopen their businesses.

But last week, Gov. Ron DeSantis said he’s not going to allow bars to open back up soon as he wants to wait for cases and hospitalizations to continue their downward trend.