Park Slope 'Black Brunch' Bar Closes After Liquor License Lost

PARK SLOPE, NY — A popular Park Slope bar closed after a controversial liquor license fight marked by complaints about rowdy drunken patrons and counteraccusations of racism.

The Woodland — a restaurant and bar that drew large "black brunch" crowds to 242 Flatbush Ave. — was effectively shut down on Jan. 3 when the State Liquor Authority board members cancelled its liquor license, authorities confirmed.

“I think Woodland partially received a lot of complaints because of their busyness and the type of clientele they attracted,” said Morgan Flores, a community organizer with The Black Institute. “It is closed now and that is because the owner decided to stop the appeal process."

The closure ends a years-long battle over the Woodland.

While patrons and advocates who fought to save it saw Woodland as a “community pillar” — a restaurant which catered to a black clientele from across New York City and the world — neighbors saw it as a nuisance.

Residents complained at Community Board 6 meetings about loud noise, drunken driving and stumbling patrons who urinated and vomited outside.

Those complaints put the bar’s liquor license at risk for years. State officials opted not to make a decision on its renewal after it expired in 2018. The bar continued to serve alcohol under a state law which allowed establishments to continue doing so while their licenses were under review.

The Black Institute, a nonprofit focused on black issues, launched a “Save Black Brunch” petition and released a study “Cabaret 2.0” which found black businesses were four times more likely to be hit with raids targeting community hotspots.

But on Dec. 18, liquor board officials voted to cancel Woodland’s license, records show. The cancellation order cites “noise, disturbance, misconduct or disorder” which became a focal point of police attention.

A man was stabbed at Woodland in the time between the liquor board’s decision and the bar’s effective closing date.

Owner Akiva Ofshtein couldn’t be reached for comment about the cancellation or closure. He told the New York Post he couldn’t stay in business without a liquor license.

SLA spokesperson William Crowley said the cancellation doesn’t bar Woodland’s owners from reapplying for a license or mandate they shut down the restaurant.

“We don’t close places," he said. "We just regulate alcohol.”