TAMPA, FL – Florida Cane Distillery is shutting down its Ybor City tasting room at 1820 N 15th St. The announcement, which was made on social media, comes as businesses in Ybor City suffer from decreased foot traffic after a Halloween shooting spooked locals and led to a rapid decline in business in the area. The business also blamed falling tourism in the Sunshine State. The shutdown could be the beginning of more to come without action from leaders.

This will be the last weekend of business for the distillery tasting room in Ybor City which was in operation for over a decade. The final hours will be Thursday, Jan. 11, from noon to 10 p.m., Friday, Jan. 12, from noon to 10 p.m., and Saturday, Jan. 13, from noon to 10 p.m.

A statement from the distillery on Facebook reads: “It’s with heavy heart that we have made the decision to close our Tasting Room here in Ybor City. The constant decline in Florida Tourism, coupled with the closing of so many other Ybor music venues/bars/restaurants and the recent shootings have pushed us to this decision. This weekend will be your last chance to buy directly from us in our Tasting Room. From the bottom of our hearts we thank you all for supporting us these past 12 years. Although we are saddened by having to close to the public it’s been such a great joy to host all of you in our tasting room, on our behind-the-scenes tours, and hands-on whiskey classes – this was only possible because of your loyal support. Thank you!”

Florida Cane and its owners have been major players in helping to relax Florida’s distillery laws and faced an uphill climb since creating their business. Products from the distillery are now in over 100 businesses including restaurants, amusement parks, and liquor stores throughout the state.

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