Popular NC nightclub violated COVID rules and paid its fine, but still can’t reopen
A Charlotte nightclub has the use of its alcohol permit again after violating coronavirus-related restrictions, but the business will remain closed.
Alcohol permits for El Centenario Night Club on North Tryon Street in the University City were suspended by the N.C. Alcoholic Beverage Control Commission in October after the club repeatedly violated state COVID-19 restrictions.
Under North Carolina’s coronavirus restrictions that went into effect Oct. 2, bars and night clubs were allowed to reopen for outdoor seating only and with limited capacity.
El Centenario allowed hundreds of customers inside and also served alcohol after the then 11 p.m. curfew limit, according to the ABC Commission. Jeff Strickland, a spokesman for the ABC Commission said, El Centenario was the first Charlotte business to have its alcohol license suspended over COVID-19 violations.
El Centenario owner James Kevin Galyan agreed to terms for violating COVID-19 restrictions at a hearing last month with the Office of Administrative Hearings, documents show.
The ABC commission agreed to lift El Centenario’s alcohol permit suspension once bars are able to open with indoor seating or the executive order ends, as long as the business has no other violations. Bars and nightclubs under Gov. Roy Cooper’s Phase 3 executive order can open with outdoor seating only and at 30% capacity.
“I don’t think I could get one customer to come and sit outside in the cold,” Galyan said. “But we’re ready to go as soon as we get the green light.”
COVID-19 restriction violations
According to the ABC commission, El Centenario allowed a crowd of over 300 people inside its facility, with no social distancing or masks in October. The club also violated the state alcohol curfew at that time of selling after 11 p.m., documents showed. The curfew is now 9 p.m.
Mecklenburg County Health Director Gibbie Harris said in a statement Oct. 2 that the club’s violations risked “fueling clusters of COVID-19 cases.”
The club had been warned and cited several other times since May for similar violations by state Alcohol Law Enforcement agents and Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police officers, the Observer previously reported.
Galyan, who has owned the club for eight years, said he needed to open despite the pandemic restrictions so he could pay mounting bills. All non-essential businesses were ordered closed in March when the pandemic hit, and reopened under three phases.
Gaylan also said he applied for but has not yet received a federal Paycheck Protection Program loan.
“I really worry about it because it’s a struggle to pay bills for the business and at home,” he said. “I never dreamed that we’d be closed this long.”
Additional violations
The ABC Commission’s meeting Wednesday covered three other violations, which were also part of the club’s alcohol permit suspension, according to ABC documents.
El Centenario allowed non-members in the private club Sept. 5, according to ABC commission documents.
Club officials also were cited for failing to supervise patrons Sept. 6 and Sept. 27. In the first incident, female customers weren’t checked for weapons and there was a shooting in the parking lot, documents shows, and the latter, a large fight of about 30 customers required calling the police for crowd control.
Suspension can be avoided by paying the $3,000 fine, according to the document. Galyan told the Observer Tuesday that he agreed to pay the fine.
The case was ratified by the commission on Wednesday.
This story was originally published January 13, 2021 at 3:15 PM with the headline "Popular NC nightclub violated COVID rules and paid its fine, but still can’t reopen."