Detroit Restaurant Cited For Coronavirus Violations: State

DETROIT, MI — A Detroit restaurant has been cited and its liquor license and permits suspended following what the state said were violations of state-issued coronavirus rules.

Minnie’s Rhythm Café, located at 546 E. Larned in Detroit and owned by Gibson Johnson Management, will have a hearing Wednesday before an administrative law judge to determine whether the suspension should continue or if other fines and penalties should be imposed, according to a state report.

According to a summary suspension document, three Detroit police officers on Dec. 27 responded to a complaint of a large party at Minnie's Rhythm Café and found 10 to 15 vehicles parked in a lot near the building and more vehicles parked in an alley behind it.

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Through a window, officers saw a large crowd of people who were not socially distancing or wearing face masks but were dancing, eating and drinking, according to the report.

When an officer knocked on the front door of the building and announced his presence, no one opened the door, according to the report. Instead, officers said they saw 10-15 people try to leave through a back door. After about five minutes, the front door was opened and the officers went inside the restaurant, according to the report.

No one took responsibility for being in charge and no one said how they were able to get into the building, police said in the state report.

Businesses are prohibited from allowing indoor gatherings due to state orders issued by the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. Allowing gatherings like this could create additional outbreaks of the coronavirus, according to state officials.

To date, there have been 525,612 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Michigan, resulting in 13,501 deaths, according to state data.