Melissa Tavern Forfeits Liquor License
/By Janee Law
jlaw@longislandergroup.com
Melissa Restaurant, pictured above, has served its last hard drink at 1419 New York Ave. in Huntington Station.
Melissa Restaurant has served its last hard drink.
Co-owners of the Huntington Station bar, Jose and Maria Bautista, surrendered its liquor license Friday in a court hearing with the state liquor authority, officials said.
The decision came following an effort led by Huntington Councilman Mark Cuthbertson to curb violent acts in and near the 1419 New York Ave establishment. According to Suffolk police, over the past five years, there have been 129 violent crimes reported at or near bar, which is managed by El Paraiso Elvira Corp.
“This is great news for the Huntington Station community and I applaud our police, civic leaders and residents who assisted the town in applying constant pressure to put an end to violence and crime at Melissa Tavern.” Cuthbertson said. “For far too long, this establishment has been a detriment to the quality of life for Huntington Station and I am pleased to announce Melissa’s last call is history.”
In addition to surrendering the bar’s liquor license – which means liquor can no longer be served at the pub – the Bautistas will have to pay a $1,000 penalty to the state. State liquor authority board members can vote to finalize the cancellation at the board’s next meeting, which is scheduled for Tuesday.
If the NYSLA chooses to approve the cancellation then the Bautistas do not have to appear in court on Jan. 11, 2017 to answer for 28 violations that the authority brought against the bar earlier this month. These violations include allegedly allowing others to use the tavern’s liquor license, allowing the establishment to become disorderly and selling counterfeit or untaxed tobacco products.
Scott Lockwood, the North Babylon-based attorney representing the Bautistas, said his clients decided to forfeit the liquor license because “the town has made it clear that they’re not going to stop harassing them.”
“They been there for over 20 years. It’s a family owned business,” Lockwood said, adding that the Bautistas are looking to sell the business. “I don’t see how driving businesses out helps Huntington Station at all. It’s clearly become a hub for violence. I don’t see how a vacant building is going to help.”
Cuthbertson said the town’s “first priority is public safety.”
He first requested the liquor authority revoke the tavern’s license on July 18 after a string of violent crime, including acts of menacing and a homicide.
