T&T Coalition of Bars & Restaurants: Bar Industry Facing ‘Unprecedented Crisis’

The bar industry in Trinidad and Tobago is facing an unprecedented crisis. This according to the Trinidad & Tobago Coalition of Bars & Restaurants. In a statement issued via Facebook today (Saturday 24th January, 2026), the Coalition said the crisis being experienced by the bar industry is a result of several factors, including what it calls “disproportionate policy decisions” that it says threaten the very survival of an entire sector.

See their full statement below:

AN INDUSTRY ON THE BRINK: A PLEA FROM THE BAR SECTOR OF TRINIDAD & TOBAGO - By Nicholas Ramsundar

The bar industry in Trinidad and Tobago is facing an unprecedented crisis. What we are experiencing today is not the result of poor management or reckless behaviour, but the cumulative impact of drastic, unconsulted, and disproportionate policy decisions that threaten the very survival of an entire sector.

This is not an exaggeration. It is the lived reality of thousands of bar owners, workers, suppliers, and families across the country.

1. Collapse in Sales Following October 2025 Alcohol Increases

Since the increase in alcohol duties in October 2025, sales have declined drastically, to levels never before seen in the history of the bar industry. Bars are now paying significantly more to purchase stock, while selling far less than ever before.

Consumers are opting to purchase alcohol from groceries and liquor marts instead, many of which have effectively become the new informal bars, with drinking taking place outside their premises. This shift has hollowed out traditional bars while creating unregulated drinking environments.

At the same time, heavier fines and custodial penalties for drinking and driving, coupled with frequent roadblocks inspecting vehicles in detail, have discouraged people from leaving their communities altogether. While public safety is important, these realities have materially reduced foot traffic and nighttime activity. Bars are being forced to adjust to collapsing demand.

Adding to this burden, bar owners now face the certainty of further price increases as beer companies pass on the cost of the proposed brewery tax, alongside higher natural gas costs for manufacturers. The effect is a ripple that ultimately lands on the smallest operators.

2. Unreasonable and Unconsulted Liquor Licence Fee Increases

One of the most alarming measures is the increase in liquor licence fees — particularly for Spirit Retailers, which rose from $1,800 to $9,000, a 400% increase.

This increase was implemented without consultation, and during meetings with the Minister of Finance it was explicitly stated that the increase was non-negotiable. Even public demonstrations outside Parliament were met with silence.

Many bar owners feel abandoned. They voted for change, for a Government that promised care, listening, and inclusion. Instead, they feel dismissed after the election, treated with disregard despite the fact that thousands of livelihoods now hang in the balance.

This raises a painful question: Is this the legacy this administration wishes to leave behind?

3. Disproportionate Gaming Taxes and a Misunderstanding of the Industry

Perhaps the clearest example of disproportionate policy is the increase in amusement gaming taxes.

• Amusement machines: $6,000 to $25,000.
• Roulette machines: $120,000 to $200,000.

These rates now exceed those applied to casinos, where slot machines are taxed at $24,000 and roulette devices at $160,000.

This defies logic.

In bars, amusement games are exactly that — amusement. They are capped at a maximum payout of $5,000, and customers play casually to relax and relieve stress, often while socializing. Casinos, by contrast, exist for pure gambling.

If gambling were truly the concern, it is difficult to explain why the State-owned NLCB has increased its draws to seven days a week, four times per day, or why games like Fast Cash — which operate on a roulette-style model every minute nationwide — are actively promoted on television screens throughout the country.

This is not about gambling control. It is about revenue extraction.

Ironically, under the previous administration, the TTRA [Trinidad and Tobago Revenue Authority] was preparing to regularize and collect gaming taxes. Operators understood compliance was coming. That process was disrupted by elections, the TTRA was scrapped, and uncertainty followed. Then suddenly, without warning, the 2025 – 2026 Budget introduced no mention of these increases, only for them to appear later in what many perceive as a reactionary revenue drive.

The result? Over 150 bars have already closed, with many more on the brink.

4. The Economic Reality of Running a Bar

Public statements suggesting that bars earn $30,000 per month ignore the basic economics of the business.

Data from point-of-sale systems submitted by medium-sized bars show average sales of:

• $2,000 on weekdays.
• $3,000 – $4,000 on weekends.

With average gross margins of about 25%, a weekday $2,000 in sales yields $500 before expenses.

From that $500:

• One cashier working extended hours can cost $400.
• Leaving $100 to cover electricity, water, internet, cable, music licences, maintenance, rent, and other operational costs.

Amusement machines are not luxury add-ons; they are often the difference between survival and closure, helping offset wages and operating expenses. Removing them through punitive taxation removes a critical lifeline.

If a medium-sized bar struggles under these conditions, small and countryside bars simply cannot survive.

5. Rising Commercial Costs and the Landlord Tax

Bars face rising commercial rates across the board — electricity, water, internet, cable services, and music licensing fees have all increased. The proposed landlord tax further compounds the problem, with costs inevitably passed on to tenants.

Industry estimates suggest that up to 75% of small and medium-sized bars may close by March 2026 if these measures take effect.

This reality stands in stark contrast to the promise that “When UNC wins, everybody wins.”

6. The Community Impact No One Is Measuring

Bars are not just businesses. They are community hubs.

Many bar owners fund and support:

• Cricket, football, table tennis, pool, draughts, and all-fours clubs.
• Cultural organizations.
• Police Youth Clubs.
• Fundraisers, charity drives, and community initiatives.

In many cases, this support exists because neither the previous nor the current Government has released funding to these organizations.

Personally, I have already had to close two bars. That decision has affected not just my family, but entire communities that depended on those spaces for support, activity, and social cohesion.

A Final Plea

We are not asking for favours.

We are asking for fairness, reasonableness, and dialogue.

We plead with the Government to call a nationwide consultation with the bar industry. Come and listen. Hear the data, the stories, and the consequences of these decisions.

This is an entire sector — largely made up of the Government’s own support base — on the verge of collapse. If these voices continue to be ignored, the damage will be irreversible.

We are pleading for our livelihoods.

We are pleading for our communities.

We are pleading to be heard…..

More on this as it becomes available.

[Source: T&T Coalition of Bars & Restaurants]

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