Dozens of complaints made against Central Florida businesses not following social distancing, but some prove untrue

More than 100 complaints have been made against Central Florida restaurants and bars not following social distancing guidelines, but some have proven to be unsubstantiated.

In the last two weeks, there have been 27 pages worth of complaints in nine Central Florida counties.

After tens of thousands of new infections in the first three weeks of June, the Department of Business and Professional Regulation signed an executive order, stating that some of the COVID-19 cases involving younger people are suspected to have originated from visits to bars and pubs.

So, any business license to sell alcohol but not food must suspend alcohol sales for consumption on the premises.

Read the full executive order below:

“I have noticed a couple and I’m like, ‘Are you sure you’re supposed to be open right now?’” said Orlando resident Clay Dahlin.

A spokesman from the DBPR said that from June 26 to July 7, the department received 120 complaints. Here is a look at some of them:

• A resident said a bar in Silver Springs had a lot of people inside getting served close together.
• An Orlando bar where patrons were allegedly “cramming in” and bartenders calling it a “great party.”
• In Port Orange, a person said a bar and grill was “routinely overcrowded.”
• In Clermont, someone said a bar was “packed shoulder-to-shoulder” with “every table full” and the “bar was standing room only.

Read: Caps, gowns and masks: Hundreds of Volusia County seniors finally get their graduation ceremony

Eyewitness News is not naming any of the businesses since the DBPR says it has checked all of the complaints, and found none of them to be true.

Statewide, 11,000 businesses have been inspected since June 23.

The state said it has 400 inspectors working around the clock to check on the businesses. Throughout Florida, 11,000 businesses have been inspected since June 23, and only two bars have had their liquor licenses suspended: One in Leon County, and The Knights’ Pub near the University of Central Florida.

The DBPR said it could take a bar about four weeks to get a restaurant license, but once it has one, it can open for on-site alcohol consumption.

Bars can make more than 50% of its profits from alcohol.

Click here if you have a complaint to file about a local bar or restaurant.

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