11 NJ Bars, Restaurants Broke COVID Rules In 1 Week: Officials

NEW JERSEY — State officials are continuing to crack down on businesses that have allegedly violated New Jersey's coronavirus executive orders, with 11 more receiving warnings this week, according to authorities (see list below).

One bar in Wildwood had its license to serve alcohol suspended for the entire summer for repeatedly violating Gov. Phil Murphy's year-old executive order requiring bars and restaurants to prevent the spread of the disease, according to authorities. Read more: Wildwood's Shamrock Beef & Ale Bar Closed For Summer For Repeated COVID-19 Violations, AG Says

The actions come as the state continues to expand indoor capacity limits, but Murphy has been reluctant to restaurants and bars more leeway just yet.

The last time Murphy increased bar and restaurant and capacity was March when he increased indoor dining limits from 35 percent to 50 percent. Read more here: NJ Bars, Restaurants Others To Expand To 50 Percent Amid COVID

On Monday, he further eased restrictions on some indoor gatherings, but Murphy said he wasn't ready to expand restaurant capacity either, though he said he hoped to do so "sooner than later." Read more here: NJ Eases COVID-19 Rules For Proms, Graduations, Other Activities

Murphy said such environments, like nightclubs, are "less controlled and more hospitable," so containing the spread of the virus would be much more difficult.

"I certainly look forward to our ability to increase indoor dining capacities in the near future, but until that time, we want to make sure that our dining establishments, though, (that) they can go forward to maximize their outdoor footprints," Murphy said.

Attorney General Gurbir S. Grewal has emphasized that the state will continue to target establishments that break the law and do little to prevent the virus from spreading – even as the number of vaccinations continues to grow and New Jersey's COVID cases continue to drop.

Indeed, 33 established were cited for COVID violations in February and early March. Read more: 33 NJ Bars, Restaurants Allegedly Broke COVID Rules In Past Month

"We will not allow a small percentage of bars and restaurants that disregard mitigation measures to jeopardize public health," Grewal has said.

In Wildwood, Shamrock Beef and Ale will not be permitted to sell alcohol from May 1 through Sept. 30, Grewal announced.

Castaway’s Pirate Bar and Club Amnesia, which also operate under that license at the same location, must also stop serving alcohol during the suspension.

The suspension is the result of a settlement between the state Division of Alcoholic Beverage Control and Tommy G’s Shamrock, LLC, that came after repeated violations, authorities said. Tommy G’s holds the license for all three establishments.

Tommy G’s must also terminate its current management team, and acknowledge Club Amnesia as an indoor facility subject to requirements imposed by the governor’s executive order, authorities said.

Superintendent of State Police Col. Patrick Callahan first noted in March that they may have their license suspended after four violations of the governor’s executive order.

Wildwood police found numerous violations of social distancing and curfew restrictions during compliance inspections in November and March, according to the Attorney General’s Office. Shamrock recently finished serving a 100-day license suspension for previous violations, authorities said, and had racked up a dozen violations of the executive order since March 2020, authorities said.

On Monday, Callahan identified other establishments that have received warnings for violations in the past week:

ATLANTIC COUNTY

• Hi-Point Pub in Absecon

UNION COUNTY

• La Catena Restaurant in Roselle Park
• Costa’s Restaurant and Pizzeria in Roselle Park
• New Station Lounge in Elizabeth
• New World Bar & Restaurant in Elizabeth
• Jersey Lanes in Linden
• Mike’s Tavern in Linden
• Linden Lanes in Linden
• Tapas Bar & Grill in Linden
• Nuno’s Pavilion in Linden
• Cheeque’s in Linden

In addition to the businesses, two residents were charged with violations:

• On April 14, a landlord in Haddon Township, Camden County, was cited in violation of the executive order prohibiting illegal evictions; and
• On April 19, a Millburn, Essex County, resident who had tested positive for the coronavirus spit on a police officer who was responding to a domestic dispute. Read more here: Millburn Police Clarify Case Of Man Who Allegedly Spat At Cops