Home Restaurant and Lounge (Photo QueensPost)
March 21, 2019 By Meghan Sackman
Community Board 1 unanimously rejected a problematic bar’s request to get its liquor license reinstated earlier this week after the State Liquor Authority (SLA) revoked it in November 2018.
Home Restaurant and Lounge, located at 28-49 Steinway St., had its liquor license suspended in Oct. 2018, after a series of fights, slashings and sexual assaults. The problems continued and the license was revoked weeks later.
The owners then shut down the business after they were unable to serve liquor.
Community Board 1, however, had no interest in recommending the establishment get its license back, citing the police’s view on the matter.
“The NYPD said Home was one of the worst–if not the worst–establishments they’ve ever had in the district,” said Andy Aujla, head of Community Board 1’s Consumer Affairs Committee, at Tuesday’s monthly meeting.
The bar has been the site of many violent incidents, according to the State Liquor Authority.
On Jan. 8, 2018, a patron was punched in the face by a bouncer with brass knuckles; on Feb, 23, 2018 a woman was groped at the location; and on March 18, 2018, the establishment was written up for employing an unlicensed bouncer who was caught with a BB gun and gravity knife in front of the premises.
Other incidents in 2018 include a patron slashing another man with a broken bottle on Aug. 8 and a patron unconsciously lying on the street in front of the location after being over served on April 22.
The bar, which has three floors, 50 tables, and a capacity of 350 people, has received an excessive amount of complaints from the community over the past year.
64 calls to 311 and 51 calls to 911 were made in regards to Home from March 2017 to March 2018, according to Florence Koulouris, Community Board 1’s District Manager. Police say the 911 calls were mostly about fights and injured people in need of assistance.
“They were exhausting police resources,” said Koulouris. “Since the committee was not convinced the owners would be running a business that would be a good neighbor to the community, they recommended against the application.”
The SLA, however, will ultimately make the final determination and will take into consideration the board’s vote.
The owners of Home could not be reached for comment by press time.
