Credit: Anthem Orlando/Facebook

The City of Orlando has issued a 30-day suspension affecting after-midnight alcohol sales at downtown LGBTQ+ venue Anthem Orlando.

The temporary suspension order stems from repeated non-compliance with alcohol sales permit requirements, failures in ID verification, weapons screening and hours of service, an Orlando spokesperson told Orlando Weekly.

The suspension, enacted April 17 after an Alcoholic Beverage hearing, requires the venue to stop alcohol sales at midnight. Under city regulations, guests are given 30 minutes to finish drinks, followed by another 30 minutes to exit the premises.

“While an initial mitigation plan was accepted, subsequent violations and an inadequate second mitigation effort resulted in a 30-day suspension of the establishment’s AMS permit. Their mitigation plan was denied because they are already operating under a mitigation plan from their previous violations,” the city said. 

The Anthem team refutes these claims by the city and says instead that the issue was tied to a third-party security vendor that allegedly failed to follow proper procedures. 

Owner Mike Vacirca said in a social media post that the vendor was immediately terminated and replaced with a new company recommended by Anthem’s internal medical and safety team.

“We identified the issue and addressed it right away,” Vacirca said in the post. “We’ve also added additional policies to make sure we’re exceeding requirements.”

According to Vacirca, the venue submitted more than 200 pages of documentation to the city outlining compliance efforts, including enhanced monitoring, incident reporting logs and revised closing procedures. A mitigation plan was previously denied, and Anthem is now seeking clearer feedback from the city before submitting a revised version.

Despite the suspension, Anthem remains open with adjusted hours for the time being. The venue will continue hosting happy hour and evening programming through midnight, while expanding private event bookings such as corporate functions, brand activations and celebrations.

The team says it is also working with the city’s business development office and has requested direct engagement with the Orlando Police Department to reach a collaborative resolution that could shorten the suspension period.

Vacirca emphasized the broader impact on staff, artists and patrons.

“These are real people with real livelihoods tied to this venue,” he said. “We feel that responsibility.”

For now, Anthem is welcoming community support as it navigates the temporary restriction. The venue says it plans to continue providing entertainment within the allowed hours while working toward full reinstatement.

The suspension comes amid the downtown region’s ongoing back-and-forth with the city over its push to limit nightlife operations and move toward a more family-friendly atmosphere.

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