Is Alcohol Coming to Downtown Jacksonville's Sidewalk Patios?
The Jacksonville City Council may soon allow patrons to enjoy an adult beverage while sitting on the sidewalk patio of their favorite downtown bar or restaurant. The city has a beautiful, if underappreciated, downtown area and this proposal could be the shot in the arm that local operators need. The proposal was introduced on October 14, 2025 and will need to work its way through the committee process. As always, the firm will closely monitor its progress.
Key excerpts of the city council’s bill summary, a link to the full document, and some local news coverage are below.
“An ordinance introduced during Tuesday night’s City Council meeting is expected to be the next step in reshaping downtown life. It would set rules for outdoor dining, sidewalk cafes, and alcohol service in public-facing spaces.”
Bill Type and Number: Ordinance 2025-0772
Date of Analysis: October 13, 2025
Bill Summary: This bill amends Section 154.108, Ordinance Code, to expand the premises area. It also amend Section 250.801, Ordinance Code, to expand the Downtown areas for sidewalk cafes and bars.
Background Information: This bill amends Section 154.108, which governs the consumption of alcohol on a vendor’s premises. Currently, the Code allows consumption of alcohol on a patio adjacent to a building, which is the address of a vendor. This bill deletes the phrase “on a patio” and inserts the phrase “as set forth in Section 250.801 of the Ordinance Code” to reflect a more expansive definition of adjacent areas where alcohol consumption is permissible.
The bill amends Section 250.801, which provides definitions for Downtown Sidewalk Cafes. To the definition of adjacent, the bill adds “any sidewalk extension that provides more space and amenities for people using the street for extended seating, as approved by DIA.” To the Code’s definition of bar, this bill updates the location requirements by deleting language specifying that a downtown bar is one “located within the boundaries of the ETown (Entertainment Town) Zone.” It adds that a bar is a bona fide standard bar, “which does not have a requirement to derive any portion of its sales from food or other non-alcoholic beverages within the Downtown Overlay as defined by section 656.361.2.”
The bill also amends the definition of café or restaurant by updating the location requirements through deletion of language specifying that a café or restaurant must be located within the boundaries of the “Central Business District, as defined by the Comprehensive Plan, the boundaries of which are coterminous with the” Downtown Overlay as defined by Section 656.361.12. The amended Code would define a café or restaurant as one located within the boundaries of the “Downtown Overlay as defined by Section 656.361.2.”
Finally, the bill deletes the entire definition of the E-Town Zone in Section 250.801, Ordinance Code.
Fiscal Impact: No cost to the City.
