Absecon Restaurant Owner Disputes Alleged Coronavirus Violation
ABSECON, NJ — An Absecon restaurant received a summons for violating coronavirus orders by allowing people to eat inside. But the owner of the Black Cat Bar & Grill says he and an employee were just eating dinner after they closed.
The Office of Attorney General announced Friday that the Division of Alcohol Beverage Control (ABC) is seeking to suspend Black Cat's license for 10 days. Restaurant owner Jim Falivene explained the situation from his perspective in a Facebook post.
Falivene was about to close when he got into his usual routine of eating dinner in the closed section of his business, he says. A part-time employee, who is also a first responder, had come in to work for an hour after her day job, according to Falivene. He offered her food too, and she accepted.
A woman walked into the Black Cat's liquor store entrance and told Falivene "you cannot eat or drink here," he says. She told him she in an ABC investigator, according to Falivene.
Falivene says he works at the restaurant seven days per week and lives upstairs. He also claims he didn't receive paperwork for the matter until 11 a.m. Saturday, a day after the OAG released the information to the public about the incident.
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