House Of Yes, 2 Other Brooklyn Spots Lose Liquor Licenses

BROOKLYN, NY — Popular Bushwick nightclub House of Yes was among three Brooklyn spots to lose their liquor license last week as the governor continues to crack down on restaurants and bars not following pandemic-related rules.

House of Yes, Lover's Rock on Tompkins Avenue and Fulton Street's Nancy Restaurant had their liquor licenses temporarily suspended by the New York State Liquor Authority during meetings last week, bringing the total number of Brooklyn spots to have their licenses pulled since the governor convened his task force to 28.

The latest round of suspensions also included three restaurants and bars in Long Island and upstate New York.

"My message to bar owners is the same: this is about protecting the health of your employees, your patrons, and the public writ large," Cuomo said. "These are serious violations, and we are taking aggressive action because there are simply no more excuses for non-compliance."

Cuomo convened a task force of investigators earlier his summer after videos of late-night, maskless partiers surfaced in New York City.

At House of Yes, the investigators found at least 30 people partying in an "overcrowded nightclub-like atmosphere" outside the bar on Friday, Aug. 21, according to the governor's office.

The partiers were drinking at tables that were less than six feet apart and no food was being served, despite orders from the governor that require "substantial food" be sold with drinks at all New York restaurants.

The manager told the inspectors that the kitchen was non-operational, Cuomo's office said. The inspectors also found fire and safety violations and at least one employee without a face mask.

At Lover's Rock, inspectors stopping by the restaurant this past Thursday found four people standing and drinking in front of the restaurant and eight people drinking in the backyard without food.

The outdoor dining set-up also extended in front of a neighboring business and an unlicensed security guard didn't have a face mask on, the governor's office said.

The owner told inspectors that there was no food service and the task force determined that the establishment did not have a permit from the city's Department of Health to serve food.

That same week, inspectors found ten people drinking inside Nancy Restaurant on Fulton Street in violation of the "substantial food" rule and an indoor dining ban in New York City. The restaurant was also serving liquor despite the fact that they are only permitted to sell beer and wine, according to Cuomo.