No alcoholic beverages after 10 PM in Colmados?

[Gutter Meat]

The Home Secretary wants to pass a law in which the sale of alcohol in Colmados is banned after 10 PM. The Colmados are small shops, which sell all sorts of daily necessities.

Supercolmado El FlowFrom cleaning products, laundry detergent, Pampers, milk powder, bananas, rice, oil and bread, everything is sold. But especially in the evening, a Colmado is open at least 16 hours a day, mainly beer and rum are sold. Then this is a cheap place for the residents who want to meet friends and have a drink. The minister would like to see that after 10 PM no more beer and rum are sold in these small shops. The owners of the Colmados complain now and do not agree with this ban.
This prohibition will also apply to Colmados in Sosúa. So does this mean that you can not buy beer or rum after 10 PM in the (Super) Colmadon El Flow in the Pedro Clisante? This will not be appreciated by the many loyal guests and customers of El Flow.



Can anyone tell me in what way, shape or form is El Flow a colmado????? Can I buy a tube of toothpaste or a bar of soap there??? If this law goes into effect, why can't they just say they are now a bar and be exempt from the rule ??

[psriches]

The Home Secretary wants to pass a law in which the sale of alcohol in Colmados is banned after 10 PM. The Colmados are small shops, which sell all sorts of daily necessities.

Supercolmado El FlowFrom cleaning products, laundry detergent, Pampers, milk powder, bananas, rice, oil and bread, everything is sold. But especially in the evening, a Colmado is open at least 16 hours a day, mainly beer and rum are sold. Then this is a cheap place for the residents who want to meet friends and have a drink. The minister would like to see that after 10 PM no more beer and rum are sold in these small shops. The owners of the Colmados complain now and do not agree with this ban.
This prohibition will also apply to Colmados in Sosúa. So does this mean that you can not buy beer or rum after 10 PM in the (Super) Colmadon El Flow in the Pedro Clisante? This will not be appreciated by the many loyal guests and customers of El Flow.



Can anyone tell me in what way, shape or form is El Flow a colmado????? Can I buy a tube of toothpaste or a bar of soap there??? If this law goes into effect, why can't they just say they are now a bar and be exempt from the rule ??

Because they don't have a license! El flow is a Colmado and will continue to be.

[mikelodge]

The Home Secretary wants to pass a law in which the sale of alcohol in Colmados is banned after 10 PM. The Colmados are small shops, which sell all sorts of daily necessities.

Supercolmado El FlowFrom cleaning products, laundry detergent, Pampers, milk powder, bananas, rice, oil and bread, everything is sold. But especially in the evening, a Colmado is open at least 16 hours a day, mainly beer and rum are sold. Then this is a cheap place for the residents who want to meet friends and have a drink. The minister would like to see that after 10 PM no more beer and rum are sold in these small shops. The owners of the Colmados complain now and do not agree with this ban.
This prohibition will also apply to Colmados in Sosúa. So does this mean that you can not buy beer or rum after 10 PM in the (Super) Colmadon El Flow in the Pedro Clisante? This will not be appreciated by the many loyal guests and customers of El Flow.



Can anyone tell me in what way, shape or form is El Flow a colmado????? Can I buy a tube of toothpaste or a bar of soap there??? If this law goes into effect, why can't they just say they are now a bar and be exempt from the rule ??

Just say no, but redo license yes. Same all over the world. Fees here and there probably fees and bribes whatever.

[psriches]

There are good reasons why they can't obtain a license!

[Gutter Meat]

A licence for what ???? Can't be a liquor licence because they sell it. What is it right now that El Flow can't do that all the other bars with a licence can do???

[psriches]

A licence for what ???? Can't be a liquor licence because they sell it. What is it right now that El Flow can't do that all the other bars with a licence can do???

They can't operate a disco and charge to enter the premesis. They won't be able to sell alcohol if the Colmado laws change. If the bribes ever stop, the Policia will shut them down for blocking up the sidewalk and playing the loud music.

[Gutter Meat]

They can't operate a disco and charge to enter the premesis. They won't be able to sell alcohol if the Colmado laws change. If the bribes ever stop, the Policia will shut them down for blocking up the sidewalk and playing the loud music.

So La Rumba right across the street can operate as a disco (what ever that means). They don't charge to get in and play music like El Flow so I don't see the difference. Theres gotta be somthing else to it.

[psriches]

So La Rumba right across the street can operate as a disco (what ever that means). They don't charge to get in and play music like El Flow so I don't see the difference. Theres gotta be somthing else to it.

There is!!!!!

But the bottom line is, he's got a very sweet deal operating as a "colmado" that he wouldn't have if he were a Bar. So he doesn't want to be a "Bar"!!

Things operate differently in DR.

[JD426]

Here in NJ when I was a teenager, I remember there was a liquor store that had a small bar, which only seated literally 4 people, right in the middle of the store. Apparantly it was grandfathered in to the license somehow through succession of family owners or something? I never saw anything like it anywhere else either.
When the liquor store changed hands, it was removed. A BAR licence is HUGE money, even back then it was like 6 figures.

So, I always thought of The calmados the same way, They sell LIQUOR in BROWN PAPER PAGS, but you can OPEN it , and drink it. but its NOT a BAR per se..Its like a LOOPHOLE that has not been closed, YET....

[MrHappy]

I don't think colmados are the target of this proposal, it's the colmadones. A mom and pop with a couple of guys playing dominos with a cold one aren't going to get hassled, it's the big places with lots of chairs, overflow into the street, and blasting speakers that would feel the weight..

[weyland]

It is not the government that is pressing for this change. It is the legitimate bar, disco and hotel owners who have to pass suitability tests and pay huge license fees who are lobbying to get the pirate competition closed down and I don't blame them.

Bars with seats outside are great but not when people cannot walk along the pavement because it is entirely blocked by drunks, tigueres and pickpockets.

Very similar situations have arisen in the UK and, no doubt, in other countries as to pirate bars starting up.

In the UK it is relatively easy to carry on a liquor licence from generation to generation of the same family but hard to transfer it to buyers outside that family, just as JD426 experienced in NJ.

I don't think anyone can complain about a shortage of places to buy or drink liquor anywhere in the DR, especially in Sosúa. If they closed down half of them the others would have a fighting chance of surviving long-term, getting their staff properly trained, providing decent toilets, etc, etc.

[mikelodge]

It is not the government that is pressing for this change. It is the legitimate bar, disco and hotel owners who have to pass suitability tests and pay huge license fees who are lobbying to get the pirate competition closed down and I don't blame them.

Bars with seats outside are great but not when people cannot walk along the pavement because it is entirely blocked by drunks, tigueres and pickpockets.

Very similar situations have arisen in the UK and, no doubt, in other countries as to pirate bars starting up.

In the UK it is relatively easy to carry on a liquor licence from generation to generation of the same family but hard to transfer it to buyers outside that family, just as JD426 experienced in NJ.

I don't think anyone can complain about a shortage of places to buy or drink liquor anywhere in the DR, especially in Sosúa. If they closed down half of them the others would have a fighting chance of surviving long-term, getting their staff properly trained, providing decent toilets, etc, etc.

That is one of my biggest complaints the damn Toilets. Some bars and even restaurants bathrooms are gross.

Very few shitters are maintained nice and clean where you actually would want to sit your ass down and pinch a loaf.

If you have an upset stomach or a rot gut hanover and the Imodium isn't kicking in it sure is handy to have a car to run back to your hotel for a decent toilet.

[steviewonder]

I don't think colmados are the target of this proposal, it's the colmadones. A mom and pop with a couple of guys playing dominos with a cold one aren't going to get hassled, it's the big places with lots of chairs, overflow into the street, and blasting speakers that would feel the weight..

The new bill also includes that Tourist areas where Colmados are will not be subject to these change of hours. However, given the new Sosua deputy mayor in August, that maybe a problem for El Flow!

[prtyr2]

Funny but when the new drinking hours came out years ago I said they were stupid. I thought it was stupid to force the HRC to close at midnight after investing millions in a nice tourist type place, because some tigres at colmadones in the barrios were shooting each other.

A blanket curfew was dumb. I was told they couldn't limit it to colmadones or barrios discos as that would be racist. It looks like we just may get that now any way.

I was at a colmadone in los mameyes when a white jeepeta drove by firing a bunch of rounds. . . .apparently in the air as nobody in the packed colmadon was hit. I took my beer and hid behind the freezer. . . . .. what a night.

[prtyr2]

Hmmm. . . . excruciatingly loud music is just another reason to close em down early. One night I was supposed to meet 2 amigas at la terminal. I walked a block away to call them and could still not hear above the music. Fuck that. . . .we met someplace quieter.

[JD426]

The new bill also includes that Tourist areas where Colmados are will not be subject to these change of hours. However, given the new Sosua deputy mayor in August, that maybe a problem for El Flow!

C'mon guys , its the DR.. The Bribe money will increase, the Booze prices will go up accordingly, they may "tone it down" , or maybe even have a Curfew for a period of time, but business will remain the same.
Anyone really think they are going to padlock El Flow, the Cash cow that it is ?? How is that gonna look on the strip ? Be serious.

[Beads]

I remember a few years ago all bars were closed at midnight during the week and 1am on weekends. This went on for months. The police would drive by and all the locals would run and hide. Chicas would latch on for fear of being taken to jail. The police used big trucks to bring all the chicas and guys (not tourists) to jail.

I didnt think this could last and eventually the times changed to more of what they are now.

Some places seemed to be exempt after complaining this made the Playa Chiquita Casino and disco the late night hang out for everyone.They would charge higher prices for everything and an entry fee to the disco for whoever they felt like charging.

After these time limits went away so did the people they went back to Classicos as far as I can tell. I went back to the casino one night and it seemed much quieter than before.

Now the new casino and afterone are open so they should be able to get the same exemptions as Play Chiquita did.

[psriches]

I remember a few years ago all bars were closed at midnight during the week and 1am on weekends. This went on for months. The police would drive by and all the locals would run and hide. Chicas would latch on for fear of being taken to jail. The police used big trucks to bring all the chicas and guys (not tourists) to jail.

I didnt think this could last and eventually the times changed to more of what they are now.

Some places seemed to be exempt after complaining this made the Playa Chiquita Casino and disco the late night hang out for everyone.They would charge higher prices for everything and an entry fee to the disco for whoever they felt like charging.

After these time limits went away so did the people they went back to Classicos as far as I can tell. I went back to the casino one night and it seemed much quieter than before.

Now the new casino and afterone are open so they should be able to get the same exemptions as Play Chiquita did.

This was a very crazy time. Imagine walking out of Classico at midnight (closing time) and the streets deserted by 12:15am! If you didn't lock something up before then, you were assed out. To the after-hours spot you go!!!! The after hour spot was like a speakeasy during prohibition.

[DCIronman]

This was a very crazy time. Imagine walking out of Classico at midnight (closing time) and the streets deserted by 12:15am! If you didn't lock something up before then, you were assed out. To the after-hours spot you go!!!! The after hour spot was like a speakeasy during prohibition.

Hell yeah. They started the curfew in '06. And as a result, a lot of after hours spots popped up. I was in Santiago then, and there used to be an after hours spot that everyone called "The Bar". I used to love that place.

Damn....the memories.

[JD426]

Caprinis the 24 hr spot will always be lively when the putas are kicked off the strip at like 4 am. If you are up at that hour, u are guarenteed to be entertained. Its a most delicious volatile atmosphere.
Kinda like the drunks who you meet at the Pizza Spots after the bars in NYC.