‘Gross Negligence:' Sea Bright Bar Draws Criticism Over Crowding

SEA BRIGHT, NJ – The crowd was partying like it was 2019.

At Donovan's Reef in Sea Bright on Saturday, live music was playing, drinks were flowing and N-95 face masks were hardly visible in the vibrant crowd, per a series of photos and videos amassing criticism on social media.

The pictures drew the attention of Gov. Phil Murphy, who cited the lack of social distancing at the Jersey Shore, as well as coronavirus spikes in other states, when he halted the reopening of indoor dining indefinitely. Read more: Gov. Murphy Postpones NJ Indoor Dining Reopen Amid Coronavirus

Saturday night's events follows in the footsteps of similar incidents, including Belmar hotspot D'Jais seen overflowing with unmasked customers on June 21 and a Morristown bar forced to shut down last week for failing to abide social distancing guidelines.

"Overcrowding. A complete disregard for social distancing,” Murphy said in a Twitter post. “Very few, if any, face coverings. The scenes we see in our newspapers and on social media cannot continue.”

The posts also drew the attention of neighboring bar owners such as Russell Lewis, a nightclub and lounge owner in Asbury Park.

“I knew that people were going to be watching me and taking pictures and critiquing me,” Lewis told Patch. “I have been by the book, as by the book as possible. I have been running things very strictly for my staff as well as my customers. So when I woke up Sunday morning after making 10% of my normal Saturday revenue and working really hard in a mask … [I saw] one of the other Shore bar owners in this video – and from only one piece of evidence that I could see – was acting in just a gross neglect of everything.”

Lewis, the owner of Watermark in Asbury Park, also serves on the Business Committee and Zoning Board for Asbury Park, as well as two other committees. He contacted Sen. Vin Gopal, and Gov. Phil Murphy about the ‘concerning’ videos.

“I’m very involved and very invested in the overall health and wellness of my entire business community here,” said Lewis. “I was really upset. Reading the news of what’s happening in Austin, in LA, all these other places where the governors and the mayors are shutting down full counties of bars because of the actions of a couple. I saw the actions of a couple of bars in my area as a direct threat to my business.”

Repeated attempts to obtain comment from Donovan's Reef were unsuccessful. The Sea Bright establishment released a statement to press via email on July 1:

"Like countless businesses throughout New Jersey, we too are experiencing the unprecedented difficulties that the restaurant and bar industry across the nation is facing," said owner Christine Carducci in the release. "As we continue to navigate this time of immense challenges and enter a new month of our ever-changing new normal, we are working hard to maintain the new CDC health and safety measures."

The seaside tiki bar says that it is cooperating with Sea Bright Department of Emergency Management and Police, who visit the bar on a "near daily basis." According to the release, the establishment will pause live music events at the venue and implement further occupancy restrictions.

"Our outdoor occupancy levels have been well-below the required state-mandated levels. We have security on staff at all times, and there remains zero tolerance for dangerous and unruly behavior," said Carducci. She stressed that face masks are "required for ALL patrons to enter."

While seldom masks are visible in the videos posted to social media, the website for Donovan’s Reef outlines rigid protocol followed by the establishment, including hand wash stations, sanitization areas, social distancing markers, a mandatory mask policy, and “dedicated Hygiene Specialists” on duty.

Lewis, meanwhile, called Monday's announcement that the reopening of indoor dining was postponed ‘shocking’ and ‘difficult to swallow’.

“Restaurateurs spent the last week working really hard to be able to capitalize on interior dining in seven or eight days,” he said.

“Normally, I don't care what other businesses are doing. But at this particular time, I felt like the gross negligence of some other bar owners could potentially come back and hurt my business.”