National City City Council Shoots Down Liquor License for AMC Theater Plaza Bonita

Alcohol will not be sold at the AMC Theater Plaza Bonita after members of the National City City Council voted down the measure.

The proposal would have given the theater a full-service liquor license.

Community members who opposed the measure argued it would raise safety problems in a family-friendly atmosphere.

Gabrial Matheus, president of South Bay Youth for Change, said at the meeting that if the measure passed, it would be inconvenient and difficult to enforce.

“The theater is a family environment, and I think that the same way your parent wouldn’t let you go to a bar, it’s the same thing at a theater,” Matheus said.

They also argued that the area around the movie theater had an over-concentration of alcohol-friendly establishments.

The Red Robin, Applebee’s, John’s Incredible Pizza, Outback Steakhouse, Memela’s Thai Bistro and El Torito are all in the nearby area and all have liquor licenses. Only four such places in a census track area are recommended by the California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control.

The National City Planning Commission approved a measure giving the theater a full-service liquor license in January. The measure then went to the National City City Council for approval.

AMC Theaters declined to comment.

Contact Us