Miami Club STORY Closes as a Result of City’s Ongoing Alcohol and Occupancy Curfew

Sean Burstyn, the attorney representing STORY nightclub in Miami, said in court “Story cannot live another day if this ordinance is put into effect.”

STORY nightclub, owned by Dave Grutman, has seen legendary headlining EDM acts come through like Swedish House Madia, Skrillex, Chris Lake, Green Velvet, Hardwell, and The Martinez Brothers. Opened for over a decade, Miami Beach has shut down the party, indefinitely. 

As of March, a Miami-Dade Circuit Court judge ruled that the city of Miami Beach impose a 2 A.M. liquor sale curfew due to a new neighborhood ordinance for the South of Fifth (SoFi) Miami Beach area. This has been the first major piece of legislation restricting alcohol sales since Miami Beach voters passed a non-binding referendum in 2021, expressing support for alcohol sale rollbacks. 

Luckily, STORY nightclub was granted a 30-day extension at the time to temporarily stay in business and challenge the Third District Court of Appeal. However, the court refuses to delay the 2 a.m. cutoff any longer, thus leaving STORY nightclub “temporarily closed”. Miami Beach has made past attempts to impose a 2 A.M. liquor curfew but remained shot down by a judge due to evidence that Miami Beach was targeting particular businesses. 

This new legislation, which only affects Miami Beach’s southernmost neighborhood, will only permit businesses with less than a 100-person capacity to operate under a 5 am liquor license. According to city records, there are twelve businesses, including STORY nightclub, with a 5 A.M. liquor license, and nine out of the twelve businesses have a capacity of more than 100 people. Yet, only three establishments can hold fewer than 100 people, leaving most establishments closed for business.

At the court hearing, the attorneys representing STORY nightclub challenged the circuit court by providing data that suggests the club makes about 88% of its alcohol revenue between 2 and 5 am. Attorney Sean Burstyn quoted “Story cannot live another day if this ordinance is put into effect.”

What will this mean for STORY?