An Oceanside bar was shut down and had its alcohol license suspended Tuesday after nearly a year and a half of warnings, according to the California Department of Alcohol Beverage Control (ABC).
Firewater Saloon on Pier View Way must now find a new owner within 180 days.
One ABC official called the bar “detrimental to the community.”
As to the events that led up to Firewater Saloon’s closure, the bar owner, Alicia Brenton, and city officials seemed to have different stories.
“This location is causing so much crime or creating law enforcement problems that it’s a drain on police resources,” said Officer Jennifer Hill with San Marcos’ ABC office.
Oceanside police reached out to ABC to investigate the bar for disorderly conduct.
Officers responded to 153 calls for service at Firewater Saloon alone from January 1, 2017, to May 4, 2018. Forty-eight of those were 911 calls related to violent crimes, Hill said.
That means the bar saw police more than twice a week, which Hill said included various officers and resources, leaving less for others in the area.
Brenton said her staff made the calls because there was a lack of law enforcement present.
One local customer, Jose Castillo, was surprised to see the bar closed.
“I thought [Firewater Saloon] was great. I thought it was a nice place to dance,” Castillo told NBC 7. “I never saw fights.”
Castillo planned on going to Firewater Saloon Tuesday night but saw it was its first day of suspension.
ABC concluded the bar was “operating in a disorderly fashion,” based on substantial evidence from Oceanside police, according to Hill.
“It really surprises me,” Castillo said. “They always check IDs and everything so, I thought they were good.”
Brenton told NBC 7 she received no due process and no prior fines, citations, or warnings; however Hill said she was given numerous warnings since Brenton starting running the bar back in April 2016.
When asked about allegations that the city was specifically targeting the bar, Hill said, “Every licensee, every individual is entitled to their own personal opinion; however, this is a professional process.” She added that the investigation was not unique for the department or the area.
New conditions for the bar to open under a new owner include a midnight curfew, no pool tables, and no dancing, during this time, Hill said.
Regarding the pool tables, officers fear the pool cues will continue to be used as weapons. And dancing was limited to decrease large crowds and potential need for law enforcement at night, according to Hill.
Hill denied that any of the bar’s conditions were about controlling the type of music or clientele. However, there was a condition to temporarily ban live entertainment, which includes all genres of music.
Oceanside police denied another accusation that they asked Brenton to hire security for a nearby city-owned parking lot. Though, one officer did advise Firewater Saloon to have its security check on its patrons in the parking lot.
The license was suspended due to Firewater Saloon’s failure to take the advice and warning during ABC and Oceanside police’s “continuous communication,” said Hill.
“My staff worked with her on a consistent basis, met with her, gave her suggestions, and if she worked with us, we wouldn’t be here today,” one Oceanside police officer said.
Brenton said she was willing to stay open with a restricted license but said she wasn’t given the chance.
Ten employees were subsequently let go from the Firewater Saloon.
Brenton has the option to fight the suspension through the courts, but the legal costs are too high for her, she told NBC 7.
The bar is currently for sale for $425,000.
