PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Business owners and organizations in Kensington, Nicetown and Germantown are pushing back against a Philadelphia curfew ordinance that would force them to close early each day at 11 p.m.
The ordinance expands the business curfew that has been in place for a section of Kensington since April 2024. It now extends to the 7th and 8th council districts and parts of the 1st.
Businesses in those neighborhoods that don’t have a liquor license, a drive-thru or a gas station would not be allowed to operate between 11 p.m. and 6 a.m.
Councilmember Quetzy Lozada, who introduced the initial bill last year and the amended bill in April, has maintained that such restrictions are aimed at reducing crime and addressing quality-of-life issues.
Ten business organizations, however, with the help of the law firm Institute for Justice, sent a letter to City Council on Monday urging members to recall the ordinance because they believe it does more harm than good.
“This blanket curfew will threaten hundreds of small businesses and prevent our law-abiding nighttime neighbors — including late-night hospital workers, firefighters, janitorial staff, and other essential workers that keep our city running — from accessing food, medicine and other necessities after 11 p.m.,” the letter says.
Businesses that don’t comply could face fines of up to $1,000 a day.
The ordinance is set to take effect at 11:59 p.m. on Wednesday.