6 Brooklyn Bars, Restaurants Busted For Flouting Pandemic Rules

BROOKLYN, NY — Six Brooklyn bars and restaurants were among the latest establishments to lose their liquor licenses for not following New York's pandemic-related rules, Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced.

Our Wicked Lady and Aura in East Williamsburg, Carnevale in Williamsburg, Draft Barn in Sheepshead Bay, Panorama Steakhouse in Gravesend and Kaifuem in Brighton Beach were among the 23 restaurants and bars across the state that had their liquor licenses temporarily suspended by the New York State Liquor Authority this month, Cuomo announced Wednesday.

The suspensions come after a round of inspections by Cuomo's task force on coronavirus restrictions. Nearly 400 businesses have had their liquor licenses suspended since the task force began.

"The vast majority of bar and restaurants are following the rules, but we have zero tolerance for those who openly ignore public health measures, putting New Yorkers' lives at risk — and we will continue to hold them accountable," Cuomo said.

In Brooklyn, most of the suspensions are due to restaurants not complying with New York City's ban on indoor dining, which was lifted last week.

Inspectors found fully-enclosed "outdoor dining" structures at Aura, Carneval, Kaifuem and Our Wicked Lady. New York's coronavirus regulations for outdoor dining requires openings on at least two sides of any outdoor area, according to the task force.

At Draft Barn, inspectors found 25 people drinking, smoking hookah and listening to an unmasked DJ perform inside the bar, even though the front gate was rolled down and locked, apparently to conceal what was going on inside. The bar also had a number of fire safety violations, Cuomo's office said.

Fire code violations were also a problem at Our Wicked Lady, according to the governor.

At Panorama Steakhouse, inspectors found people smoking hookah and drinking inside the restaurant, which at the time of the inspection didn't have a liquor license. Three employees, including the manager, and some of the 22 customers were not wearing masks, according to the governor.

More than 40 Brooklyn spots have had their licenses suspended since Gov. Andrew Cuomo convened a task force of investigators earlier this summer amid videos of late-night, maskless partiers in New York City.

Other violations include nightclub House of Yes, a Bed-Stuy restaurantwith a hookah shed in the backyard, a "party boat" in Red Hook and a Sheepshead Bay bar with a 150-person party on the roof.