Cuomo’s State Liquor Authority says, ‘No’ to Bushwick’s top club with an order to suspend liquor sales until further notice. The venue is a global club destination known for its wild parties and incorporating political and environmental activism in many of their events, was shuttered August 27 for violating of their liquor license and the new pandemic rules of the state.
It’s owners announced, “Unfortunately, our liquor license was suspended yesterday by the State Liquor Authority (SLA) ? Therefore, we will be temporarily closed while we focus on doing everything in our power to work with the SLA in good faith to restore our license and reopen.”
In a statement posted on instagram they explained, “The latest safety guidelines mandated by the Governor require that food be served alongside alcohol at all bars, and we thought we were complying with these rules by offering food-to-order from our sister restaurant. Unfortunately we learned that this does not comply with the technical requirement of our license.”⠀
The sister restaurant is Queen of Falafel which not only shares owners with House of Yes but also occupies the same building and street front as the venue.
“We were also dinged for the volume of our ambient music, and for a few individual people within our perimeter who were not perfectly following safety guidelines.”
The arbitrary food rules created by Governor Cuomo have been a disaster for bar owners small and large. Bar owners are working under a situation of incredible fiscal austerity while trying to decode Cuomo’s vague and poorly communicated executive orders. Last week Bushwick Daily reported that some business owners have started a petition calling on the relaxation of the food requirement called, SEATING NOT EATING. At time of publishing, the petition has received over 5,000 signatures.
House of Yes representatives say that the suspension of their liquor license is devastating but temporary.
For more news, sign up for Bushwick Daily’s newsletter.
Join the fight to save local journalism by becoming a paid subscriber.