SLA ISSUES EMERGENCY SUSPENSION FOR L LOUNGE

The New York State Liquor Authority (SLA) summarily suspended the license of Londel Davis LLC, doing business as “L Lounge,” at 2131 Frederick Douglass Boulevard in Manhattan today. The suspension was ordered by Chairman Vincent Bradley, Commissioner Lily Fan, and Commissioner Greeley Ford at a special meeting of the Full Board on April 1, 2022. Effective immediately, no alcohol may be sold or consumed on the premises.

The suspension follows numerous violations including multiple violent incidents emanating from inside the establishment as recently reported to the SLA from the New York City Police Department’s (NYPD) 28^th Precinct, which then led to a joint SLA/NYPD

The premises has been licensed since early 2020 and since open there have been seventy-five 911 calls and over sixty 311 calls.  In addition to noise and other types of disorder, NYPD reports that a patron was stabbed by an unlicensed security guard working at L Lounge following an argument on January 13, 2022. On February 18, 2022, police report gun shots fired into a large group of patrons fighting in front of the premises. And on March 18, 2022, multiple shots were fired in front of the establishment by a patron exiting L Lounge.  When NYPD responded on March 19, 2022, the individual in charge, who has held himself out as the owner, refused to permit an inspection and was arrested.  Additional unlicensed security guards were discovered on March 19, 2022 and at a subsequent joint inspection by the SLA and NYPD on March 24, 2022.  Multiple other violations were found on that date, including fire safety, sale of Hookah without a license, and operating in violation of the license’s approved method.

The SLA has charged “L Lounge” with 21 violations of the Alcoholic Beverage Control Law. During the suspension, the SLA will prosecute these violations, the maximum penalty for which is revocation of the license.

“There is a clear pattern of behavior which not only threatens public safety, but has become a drain on police resources,” said SLA Chairman Vincent Bradley. “The SLA has an obligation to ensure this violence does not continue, and this emergency suspension should serve as a message that this agency will not hesitate to take immediate action when a bar poses a threat to public safety.” 

The State Administrative Procedure Act authorizes a State agency to summarily suspend a license when the agency finds that public health, safety, or welfare requires emergency action. When the SLA summarily suspends a license, it also serves a Notice of Pleading alleging one or more disciplinary violations. In invoking a summary suspension, the SLA has deemed the violation to be sufficiently serious upon initial review to warrant an immediate suspension. The SLA’s decision to summarily suspend a license is not a final determination on the merits of the case. The licensee is entitled to a prompt hearing before an Administrative Law Judge.