Upper West Side Joint Can Serve Booze Again, Raises Nearly $40K

UPPER WEST SIDE, NY — The Hi-Life Bar & Grill on the Upper West Side of Manhattan is back to serving liquor after getting its license renewed on Saturday.

The joint on the corner of 83rd and Amsterdam had its liquor license snatched on July 30 for violating the guidelines surrounding outdoor dining.

Specifically, the New York State Liquor Authority issued an automatic suspension of the Hi-Life's license for using a "fixed roof" in an area that the restaurant considered to be outdoors.

However, the Upper West Side restaurant had good news to share on Saturday, informing the UWS community that its liquor license got restored.

The Hi-Life relayed that message in a GoFundMe that it launched a day after its liquor license was suspended. The campaign aimed to raise funds to offset legal fees and help continue to pay for staff and operations.

The campaign raised $38,765.

"Seriously, this experience has been a tough one to endure after everything we've done to stay open safely while keeping our team employed and intact," the Hi-Life staff wrote in the GoFundMe. "I was shaken to have our livelihood taken away as it was, and then humbled at the outpouring of support and generosity that was nothing less than amazing!"

The Hi-Life is not sure the exact amount of money needed to pay for the fine imposed and the legal fees from the liquor license suspension, but it will use the leftover funds to pay full-time and part-time employees.