Melissa Donovan
Two locally-loved downtown Orlando bars announced on Wednesday they will be closing their doors for good due to “overwhelming financial strains.”
These strains include fees associated with the After Midnight Alcohol Sales Permit, which requires bars to pay a fee to serve alcohol after midnight.
“We tried. We tried everything. We adapted, we restructured, we fought against the tide, but in the end, the weight of insurmountable costs and unforeseen challenges proved too much to bear,” the owner of both businesses wrote on Facebook.
Both bars immersed guests into a new escape from Orlando. 1Up brought visitors nostalgia as they played retro games from the ‘80s and ‘90s, while HighT allowed patrons to explore the world of “Alice in Wonderland.”
“This is not just the loss of a business. It is the loss of a dream, of a vision, of a place where so many found joy. But dreams never truly die—they evolve, they find new homes, they wait for the right moment to rise again,” the owner wrote on Facebook.
While HighT and 1UP have closed, the owner still encourages guests to support their other downtown bar, Cocktails & Screams on West Pine Street.
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