Ten liquor-serving establishments were arrested and closed Saturday for failing to comply with City and County of Honolulu’s COVID-19 restrictions.
The Honolulu Liquor Commission on Saturday scrapped the Aloha Beer Company, Waikiki Brewing Company, Di’s Karaoke, Hibiscus Club, 8 Fat Fat 8, Aqua Lounge, Club Blue Star, Club Wave, Emerald City and Club Bonita during their first major maintenance of Mayor Kirk Caldwell’s recently increased emergency orders.
Investigators said the establishments were in violation of Mayor Kirk Caldwell’s Emergency Order 2020-23, which shut down Oahu bars for three weeks from July 31.
Bars that exceed the order are subject to fines and penalties and will be at risk of losing their liquor rights. The order also applies to restaurants, which are prohibited after 10 hours from selling and serving alcohol. If it turns out that they are in violation after 10 hours, they can be shut down for 24 hours by the Liquor Commission.
Aloha Beer Company and Waikiki Brewing Company will be re-authorized after the 24-hour closing, but only for the purpose of retail / off-premise consumer sales.
Saturday’s action was the first major enforcement of the Honolulu Liquor Commission’s Emergency Order 2020-23 by the mayor. Researchers said they observed a number of other locations that were incorrectly open; researchers, however, could not reach them until they closed at 10 p.m.
The city said enforcing the mayor’s Emergency Order “will be ongoing and ongoing.”
Caldwell said earlier that the three-week period would give us enough time, working with our liquor inspectors to strengthen a way to increase our ability to inspect bars in a way we can address if someone does not follow the protocols. ”
Caldwell’s order followed announcements from the state Department of Health that multiple COVID-19 business clusters had come out of meetings at bars.
However, the policy has drawn criticism from the Hawaii Chamber of Commerce and bar and restaurant owners, who oppose a policy that also punishes punitive companies.
“The decision to close all the locks would add to the pain of too many business owners following guidelines,” Sherry Menor-McNamara, chamber president and CEO formerly told the Star Advertiser.
