VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — A temporary 9:30 p.m. curfew begins Friday night in the Oceanfront resort area, prompting some businesses to adjust hours while many visitors say the change will not affect their plans.
The curfew applies to all ages on Friday and Saturday nights this weekend and again next Friday.
Some out-of-town visitors said they were unaware of the new restrictions until arriving at the Oceanfront.
“I knew nothing about it until this morning,” said Wayne Vandoren, who is visiting for a USS Iowa reunion.
Despite the earlier curfew, Vandoren said he still expects members of his group to be outside later in the evening.
“I think there’s going to be a whole bunch of us from the USS Iowa reunion that are going to be out here,” he said.
Meanwhile, some Oceanfront businesses are adjusting operations in response.
Calypso Bar & Grill said it is modifying its hours on nights when the curfew is in effect.
“This significantly changes our hours, especially since the curfew is in effect during our busiest hours, but we’re adapting,” said Brittany Rupert with the restaurant.
On Friday and Saturday, Calypso plans to close at 9 p.m. and will allow entry after 5 p.m. only to guests ages 25 and older, with some exceptions.
Other venues are also making changes. Peabody’s posted on social media that it will be closed Friday and Saturday.
Rupert said the curfew affects not only business operations but also employees and customers.
“That is our biggest hope at this point. This obviously not only impacts us as a business but also all of our staff we pay, as well as our guests who want to enjoy a local beachfront venue,” she said.
City officials say the 9:30 p.m. curfew is separate from the existing 7 p.m. curfew for unaccompanied minors, which remains in effect.
