The Hammond City Council approved the renewal of more than 100 alcohol licenses during its most recent meeting after a unanimous vote among participating members, with four council members voting in favor and one abstaining.
The vote affects 106 businesses that depend on alcohol licenses, including restaurants, bars, grocery stores and convenience stores. Devon A. Wells, Kip Andrews, Sam DiVittorio and Steven J. Leon voted in favor, while Carlee White Gonzales abstained.
Gonzales said she abstained from the vote to follow LA ethics laws, as her husband, Ryan, owns a minor interest in one of the Hammond businesses with a liquor license.
Before the meeting, DiVittorio emphasized that the council’s vote should not be interpreted as an attempt to make Hammond a dry city or stop alcohol sales.
“We live in a college town in south Louisiana — we are not becoming a dry city. That is not something I would ever support. Local businesses will continue operating as they always have,” DiVittorio said.
He also said the issues were expected to be resolved before the licenses expire at the end of the year.
“This is just the latest example of poor communication from the administration. These concerns are not new. Issues like this should be resolved before they ever reach the meeting,” DiVittorio said.
Prior to the vote, a downtown business owner expressed concern about how the uncertainty could impact their operations and revenue.
“It would definitely affect our staff. We would have to cut stuff. Alcohol is one of the main things people come here to enjoy: a beer or a margarita. It’s part of the identity of the restaurant,” the owner said.
Alcohol sales generate a significant portion of income for many establishments in Hammond’s downtown and surrounding areas, where dining and nightlife are central to the community’s social life.
Sophomore communication major Matthew Cuccia also shared his thoughts ahead of the meeting, noting that a potential restriction would cause more harm than good.
“You can ban things legally, but people will still find ways around it, and it would just create more problems. I also think new college students would see a town without alcohol sales and wonder why they’d want to go there,” Cuccia said.
Senior mechanical engineering technology major Ryan Sheck said he agreed limiting or removing alcohol sales would hurt Hammond’s economy.
“We rely so much on restaurants and venues around here, and if those businesses can’t sell alcohol, they’re going to take a big hit financially. It is not a wise idea to shut that down,” Sheck said.
During the meeting, The Brown Door introduced into the record that it had been removed from the city’s list of businesses because its license was suspended for 90 days. The suspension will be lifted on Nov. 21, and the council will revisit the matter in December.
With the renewals approved, more than 100 Hammond businesses have clarity moving into the end of the year.
