On Nov. 24, the DeKalb City Council tried to set a clear division between bars and restaurants that serve alcohol, but not everyone is happy about it.

The council passed an ordinance that will force Class E liquor license holders, which are restaurants allowed to serve alcohol as a complement to food, to close an hour earlier.

Those establishments will close an hour earlier than those with Class A licenses, which primarily are bars.

The change was proposed as a way to keep Class E license holders from acting as bars.

Lauren Miller, a senior special education major and bartender at Starbusters Bar & Grill, 930 Pappas Drive, said she thought the ordinance was a good idea. She said restaurants are supposed to serve food, and should be separated from bars in regard to alcohol sale hours.

Miller said she thinks Starbusters, which has a Class A license, will benefit from the ordinance.

Others are not so optimistic about the new ordinance.

Dennis Radcliff, owner of the Husky Dawg Pound, 1205 W. Lincoln Highway, said he stands to lose up to $100,000 because of the ordinance.

Radcliff posed this question to the city: Why, after 33 years, does the ordinance need changing?

He said if he had known three months ago the ordinance would be changed, he probably would not have chosen to open his business in DeKalb.

Radcliff said he was disappointed the ordinance was passed, and will close the food portion of his business when liquor sales must cease.

Senior economics major Chris George said he doesn’t agree with the ordinance, either.

George said there should be no difference in closing time if an establishment serves alcohol, regardless of whether its main sales come from food or liquor. George said if people want alcohol, they are going to order it anyway, regardless of closing time. George said he thinks the ordinance would help differentiate bars from restaurants, but does not see the need to do so.