Hoboken Suspends 5 Bars From 2018 LepreCon Pub Crawl

HOBOKEN, NJ — The Hoboken municipal Alcohol Beverage Control (ABC) Board handed down suspensions to five local bars after they allegedly “failed to adequately control their patrons and the activities within their premises, leading to severe public safety issues,” city officials announced Friday.

The alleged violations took place over a period that spanned back as far as 2016, according to Hoboken police reports.

The five bars – 1 Republik, Hoboken Bar and Grill, Green Rock Tap and Grill, Mill’s Tavern and The Shannon – will be prohibited from operating during the privately organized annual pub crawl known as LepreCon, slated for Saturday, March 3 this year.

Last year, the annual event ended with 11 arrests, down from 15 the previous year, according to the Hoboken Police Department. Previous incarnations of the annual festival – which is not sponsored by the City of Hoboken – have commonly included arrests for assault and DWI, as well as offenses such as urinating in public, disorderly house parties and disorderly conduct.

• See related article: Hoboken 'LepreCon' Arrests Down For 2017

Hoboken Mayor Ravi Bhalla said that six other local establishments agreed to settlements for alleged ABC violations during the board’s Thursday meeting, but received “lesser penalties.”

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According to Bhalla’s office, the following penalties were issued:

• 1 Republik: Closed on March 3, 2018 and shall close on May 21, 2018 for a 30-day suspension. After the 30-day suspension, the establishment shall permanently close pending transfer/sale of the license to new ownership.
• Hoboken Bar and Grill: 30-day suspension to begin immediately (February 23, 2018)
• Green Rock Tap and Grill: 20-day suspension, one day of which is March 3, 2018
• Mill’s Tavern: 24-day suspension which includes being closed March 3, 2018
• The Shannon: two-day suspension to be served March 3 and March 4, 2018

“This represents a major accomplishment in fulfilling my commitment on Inauguration Day to address this public safety nuisance,” Bhalla said. “The vast majority of bar owners are responsible license holders, but a very small number of establishments have failed to adequately control their patrons and the activities within their premises, leading to severe public safety issues. The discipline agreed to by the owners is appropriate and I hope will lead to an understanding that public safety is a top priority and that the ABC board will not hesitate to enforce the liquor license regulations.”

Additionally, the New Jersey Attorney General’s Division of Alcohol Beverage Control has agreed to send up to 14 state ABC detectives to Hoboken on March 3, 2018. Along with Hoboken Police ABC detectives, they will be monitoring establishments to ensure compliance with all ABC regulations, including “not admitting underage guests, not overserving patrons, not exceeding capacity and other health and security regulations,” city officials said.

• See related article: Hoboken Sees Boozing, Brawling, Urinating Santa Invasion

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