Arlington Approves Music Hours At 2 Clarendon Venues, Denies Big Tony’s

ARLINGTON, VA — Arlington County Board members drew a line between restaurants that corrected violations and one that continued offering live entertainment without permission Tuesday, approving expanded entertainment hours for Clarendon Ballroom and Buena Vida while denying a permit for Big Tony’s Pizzeria and Dive Bar.

The decisions came during the board’s Sept. 22 meeting and were part of a broader county effort to standardize when live entertainment ends and to create clearer enforcement rules for restaurants, bars and other venues. Arlington’s Clarendon Live Entertainment Group currently includes 21 establishments, according to county staff

Big Tony’s, at 3100 Clarendon Blvd., was denied a live entertainment permit in a 4-1 vote after county officials detailed months of violations for offering DJs and karaoke without the required approval. Board member Takis Karantonis cast the dissenting vote. A substitute motion from Karantonis to approve the permit with conditions and review it again in May 2027 failed 1-4.

Vice Chair Maureen Coffey made the motion to deny the permit, which was seconded by board member Julius D. "JD" Spain Sr. Before the vote, Coffey said the repeated violations made it difficult for her to trust that the business would follow conditions if the board granted the permit.

“We have to be able to be confident that the people we issue those permits to are going to comply with Arlington County’s code and laws,” Coffey said.

Big Tony’s Denied After Repeated Violations

Big Tony’s had sought permission to offer primarily DJs and karaoke from 4 p.m. to 1 a.m. seven days a week.

County staff said police alerted zoning officials in January that the restaurant was conducting live entertainment without a permit. The restaurant was warned, submitted an application in March and paid its application fee in April, but inspectors subsequently documented additional live entertainment.

Police provided video evidence of live entertainment in July, and zoning inspectors again observed it during inspections July 22 and Aug. 5.

The situation had changed somewhat by the time of Tuesday’s hearing. Zoning inspectors found no live entertainment during a Sept. 16 inspection, and the restaurant paid its tickets Sept. 17, according to the county’s presentation.

Catherine Basile, an owner-operator of Big Tony’s, apologized to the board and said management now understood the county’s requirements.

“I do wish to comply with the Arlington County rules and regulations,” Basile said. “It has never been my intention not to.”

Basile said eliminating karaoke, DJs and other entertainment had hurt sales and asked the board to consider allowing the business to operate under strict conditions or a temporary permit. Another representative of the restaurant said a typical karaoke night could produce about $5,000 in sales, compared with about $1,000 after karaoke was stopped.

Karantonis argued for giving the restaurant another chance under conditions, saying Arlington’s permitting system can be difficult for small businesses to navigate. His substitute motion would have granted the permit and brought Big Tony’s back before the board in May.

The rest of the board ultimately sided with the denial. County staff said that, absent the compliance history, they otherwise would have supported the live entertainment use. Big Tony's

The denial does not prevent Big Tony’s from continuing to operate as a restaurant, but it cannot legally offer DJs, karaoke or other regulated live entertainment. Under county rules, a new application generally cannot be filed for 360 days unless the board waives that waiting period. Board members indicated Tuesday that they could consider bringing the matter back earlier on their own motion if the restaurant demonstrates compliance.

County staff also clarified that activities such as trivia and game nights that do not involve a DJ may continue without the live entertainment permit. Karaoke does require the permit.

Clarendon Ballroom Gets Later Weekend Hours

The board took a different approach with Clarendon Ballroom, unanimously approving changes to its live entertainment and dancing permit.

The venue at 3185 Wilson Blvd. can now offer entertainment until 1:30 a.m. Fridays and Saturdays, 30 minutes later than its previous 1 a.m. cutoff. The permit also establishes standardized hours for other days and will return to the board for review in May 2027.

The 5-0 approval came despite a recent zoning violation involving DJs on the venue’s unenclosed rooftop. Zoning officials issued a notice of violation in July, but a subsequent Aug. 20 inspection found the business in compliance.

The Lyon Village Citizens Association opposed extending the hours, telling the county it wanted stronger enforcement of existing requirements before additional live entertainment privileges were granted.

County staff nevertheless recommended approval, saying Clarendon Ballroom corrected the violation and that consistent ending times would make enforcement easier. Staff said an earlier policy of staggering closing times among Clarendon establishments proved difficult because police and enforcement officers had to determine which venues were allowed to operate at particular times.

Buena Vida Gets Expanded Entertainment Schedule

Board members also approved expanded live entertainment hours for Buena Vida, at 2900 Wilson Blvd., allowing the restaurant to offer entertainment seven days a week.

Under the approved schedule, live entertainment may run from 5 p.m. to midnight Monday through Thursday, 5 p.m. to 1:30 a.m. Friday, 10 a.m. to 1:30 a.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. to midnight Sunday. Entertainment may continue until 1:30 a.m. on nights before designated federal holidays.

County staff said there had been no zoning or code violations since the restaurant’s last review in January and only two police calls for minor incidents or disputes that were resolved without reports.

Andrew Lewis, representing Buena Vida, told the board the restaurant was trying to shift some activity earlier rather than simply extend nightlife later. He also acknowledged instances when employees failed to close windows before entertainment began and said management had instituted a checklist requiring doors and windows to be closed before a DJ starts.

“We’re doing everything we can to work on sound abatement for the community,” Lewis said.

Nearby residents nevertheless raised concerns about noise from the glass-enclosed upper floor and questioned the county’s move toward uniform entertainment hours.

Resident Dana Small acknowledged improvements under Buena Vida’s new management but said the location remained problematic for seven-day-a-week entertainment because of its proximity to homes.

“A basement venue is not the same as a rooftop glass rooftop bar,” Small told the board, arguing that building materials, sound transmission and proximity to residences should factor into permit decisions.

The Buena Vida permit includes conditions prohibiting live entertainment outside the building and generally requiring windows, doors and other openings to remain closed while entertainment is underway.

The permit, like Clarendon Ballroom’s, will return to the County Board for review in May 2027.

The decisions also introduce tougher language intended to bring problematic establishments back before the board sooner. Under the county’s new framework, three qualifying violations within a three-calendar-month period can trigger an off-schedule County Board review, where possible actions include revising permit conditions, shortening entertainment hours or terminating the permit.

County officials described the standards as an interim step while Arlington continues a broader review of how it regulates live entertainment.