LI Bar Has Liquor License Suspended For Coronavirus Violations

FREEPORT, NY — EB Elliot's Waterfront Restaurant and Bar has become one of the latest establishments to have its liquor license suspended by the state for not enforcing social distancing guidelines.

Over the last month, the New York State Liquor Authority (SLA) has been cracking down on bars and restaurants that are not enforcing social distancing guidelines during the coronavirus pandemic. Dox in Island Park was the first bar on Long Island to have its license suspended. EB Elliot's is the third bar on Long Island, and the second in Nassau County, to have its license suspended. In Suffolk, Secrets Gentlemen's Club also had its license suspended.

"Thanks to New Yorkers' hard work, we have achieved — and maintained — one of the lowest infection rates in the country, but now is not the time to let our guard down. We will not allow a handful of bad actors or reckless businesses to halt or reverse New York's progress," Gov. Andrew Cuomo said in a news release. "This is about enforcement, and while state investigators are working tirelessly to enforce compliance, local governments must step up and do their jobs."

The license suspension of EB Elliot's is part of a week-long crackdown by the SLA. A task force involving state police conducted 6,887 compliance checks over the last week and found violations at 162 establishments, Cuomo said. EB Elliot's was one of 38 that had their licenses suspended. The rest were all located in New York City.

According to the state, investigators from the task force went to EB Elliot's at 6:30 p.m. on Aug. 5 and saw people walking around and drinking at an outside bar, kitchen staff not wearing masks and management serving patrons alcohol without food. Last month, Cuomo ordered that bars and restaurants couldn't serve drinks without a food order.

The state said the manager tried to pass off falsified receipts for food orders, but then admitted that he made them up and that they were running a bar.

The investigators returned about two hours later and found that Elliot's had continued what it was doing, despite the earlier violations. The state said there were about 100 patrons in the restaurant. The investigators called the Freeport Police Department. When officers arrived, the state said they found 69 patrons standing shoulder to shoulder at an outdoor bar, drinking and ignoring social distancing.

EB Elliot's had its license suspended the next day.

The emergency summary suspensions are imposed when the SLA finds the continued operation of a licensed business threatens public health and safety. Suspension orders are served immediately and remain in effect indefinitely, with fines of up to $10,000 per violation. The maximum penalty is the permanent revocation of the license. Licensees subject to an emergency suspension are entitled to a hearing before an SLA Administrative Law Judge.