Hoboken Cracks Down Ahead Of LepreCon, St. Pat's Version Of SantaCon
HOBOKEN, N.J. -- Five bars have been ordered closed during LepreCon, St. Patrick's Day's answer to the popular but controversial SantaCon holiday bar crawl.
In addition to the bar shutdowns, more than a dozen state Alcohol Beverage Control detectives will be in the city policing to make sure for bars not admit underage guests, not overserve patrons, not exceed capacity and follow other health and security regulations.
The city's Alcohol Beverage Control Board met Thursday about 11 Hoboken liquor licensees, with five businesses getting orders for complete shutdowns on March 3, 2018, and some even longer suspensions.
According to the ABC Board:
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.
Six other bars agreed to settlements but suffered lesser penalties.
"This represents a major accomplishment in fulfilling my commitment on Inauguration Day to address this public safety nuisance," said Mayor Ravi S. Bhalla. "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."
Last year's SantaCon led the Metropolitan Transportation Authority and NJ TRANSIT to ban alcohol on the weekend of the bar crawl, and similar restrictions were in place on Long Island Rail Road and Metro-North Railroad trains and stations.