Abilene city council supports banning BYOB businesses from operating between 2AM-7AM

ABILENE, Texas (KTAB/KRBC) – Abilene city council members are supporting adopting an ordinance that would prohibit BYOB businesses from operating between the hours of 2:00 a.m. to 7:00 a.m.

During Thursday’s city council meeting, council members unanimously voted to move forward with the time restriction for all BYOB businesses in city limits. They declined, however, to move forward with additional parts of the proposed ordinance that would have implemented punishments for businesses with crimes committed at their establishments, such as the requirements for permits and heightened security.

The ordinance was initially proposed as a response to repeated acts of violence, including multiple shootings and a murder, at a BYOB venue and hookah bar on N 6th Street.

Abilene police taking ‘layered approach’ to protecting public from threats at hookah lounge.

“I still want us to do something. I want the police to have the tools they need at two in the morning to deal with some of these places that are doing this,” councilman Lynn Beard explains.

The proposed BYOB ordinance will be revisited during upcoming Abilene City Council meeting.