Charlotte nightclub faces fines or liquor suspension for 2-year-old COVID violations

Two years after violating COVID pandemic rules, a west Charlotte nightclub must pay $1,500 or face a suspension of its liquor permit, according to case filings ratified Wednesday by the state Alcoholic Beverage Control Commission.

Fantasy Lounge at 2415 West Morehead St., off Wilkinson Boulevard in the Wesley Heights area, was hit with five COVID-related violations from October to December in 2020.

At the time, statewide coronavirus restrictions required nightclubs and bars to operate at limited indoor capacity, maintain social distancing and stop alcohol sales at 11 p.m. Customers were required to wear facemasks unless eating or drinking and required to be seated.

So why did it take over 1 1/2 years for the case to conclude?

The ABC commission is a regulatory agency, so the cases the it considers and ratifies at its monthly meetings are settlements the legal staff have negotiated with the permit-holders. And that back-and-forth negotiation process that can take some time to resolve, NC ABC Commission spokesman Jeff Strickland told The Charlotte Observer.

Fantasy Lounge had repeatedly violated executive orders and had been educated, warned and cited many times, Charlotte Mecklenburg Police ABC unit detective Travis Cook said in the reports.

The violations

Fantasy Lounge was cited for several executive order violations:

▪ Oct. 9, 2020: Allowing indoor consumption of alcoholic beverages at 10:41 p.m. and capacity over 50%.

▪ Nov. 21, 2020: Not enforcing facemasks and social distancing, and exceeding occupancy limits. Another violation was for allowing indoor consumption of alcoholic beverages.

▪ Dec. 5, 2020: Not enforcing facemasks and social distancing. Another violation was for sales, serving and consumption of alcohol indoors.

In November 2020, “Fantasy Lounge was overcrowded and looked to be violating the executive orders and this needed to stop,” a police officer wrote in the report.

A month later, Charlotte Mecklenburg Police ABC unit detective Danny Graham said “the business continues to operate the club illegally.”

Pay fine or alcohol permit suspended

To avoid a 15-day ABC permit suspension that would start Sept. 9, Fantasy Lounge must pay $1,500 by Sept. 2, according to the report.

Fantasy Lounge was among 76 hearing cases ratified Wednesday during the state ABC commission meeting. Cases combined totaled $91,200 in fines, or opt for permit suspensions.

Fantasy Lounge owner Stanley Robinson declined to comment Wednesday.

Ratifying ABC violations

Fantasy Lounge was not the only Charlotte club that faced similar COVID violations, but those cases were resolved much quicker.

The ABC commission is not a law enforcement agency, Strickland said. When law enforcement officials submit violation reports, ABC Commission staff review the alleged violations and initiates negotiation with the permit-holder on the appropriate settlement.

“If a settlement can be reached, it is approved before the ABC Commission at one of the monthly meetings,” Strickland said. “...It is not uncommon for there to be a significant amount of time between when a violation occurs, and when a potential settlement comes before the commission.”