The operators of the New Oriental Guyana Restaurant in New York have lost their liquor licence for serving patrons in violation of Governor Andrew Cuomo’s order barring eating and drinking on its premises, according to a New York Daily News report.
The report said the operators of the restaurant, located on Liberty Avenue in South Richmond Hill, shut its front gates but – in what has been described as a “prohibition-era” move – they let dozens of customers in through an alley door so they could wine and dine the night away, the State Liquor Authority (SLA) said.
Forty patrons ate and drank inside when the New York Police Department visited on Wednesday. Restaurant workers ignored orders by police that the eatery be emptied out, the SLA said, according to the newspaper report.
SLA officials suspended the eatery’s liquor licence on Friday for “operating in flagrant violation of the Governor’s Executive Order to cease on-premises sales of food and alcoholic beverages to combat the spread of the coronavirus.”
“These directives are not helpful hints, they are not suggestions, they are mandatory and SLA will not hesitate to take immediate action to protect the public health and safety against the spread of the coronavirus,” SLA Chairman Vincent Bradley was quoted as saying in a statement.
The SLA charged the restaurant with several violations, including failure to comply with Cuomo’s order and failing to supervise the premises. The agency said it will begin immediately to permanently rescind the restaurant’s licence.
The restaurant’s owners could not be reached for comment.
The report said the New Oriental Guyana Restaurant was one of two city eateries summonsed for allowing patrons to congregate on their premises.
It further noted that the overwhelming majority of restaurants in the city are following the rules. Of the 5,242 bars, clubs and restaurants inspected last Thursday night, officials said, 3,838 were closed. The rest were operating in line with Cuomo’s order by only offering food and drink for pickup or delivery.
