Fairhaven penalizes Rasputin's Tavern with 30 days of closure for violations. Read more.

Matthew Ferreira, The Standard-Times
Updated ·4 min read
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FAIRHAVEN — By a decision of the Select Board, Rasputin's Tavern, 122 Main St., has been ordered to remain closed for 10 days a month, starting this month through February. The mandated shutdown periods, totaling 30 days, are penalties incurred over a number of citations from recent years, which have included serving alcohol to the underaged and sales to intoxicated persons.

The Select Board's decision, approved unanimously on Dec. 4, was based on a two-part hearing on Oct. 23 and Nov. 6, during which the board heard from Police Chief Michael Meyers on the issues officers say they've encountered at Rasputin's. Meyers presented summaries of police responses to Rasputin's from the past three years going back to 2020.

Rasputin's Tavern, 122 Main St., Fairhaven, is seen on April 20, 2022 while the film crew behind major Hollywood feature "Finestkind" worked inside. Rasputin's has come under fire with the town recently, being subject to an order of the Select Board mandating stricter guidelines.
Rasputin's Tavern, 122 Main St., Fairhaven, is seen on April 20, 2022 while the film crew behind major Hollywood feature "Finestkind" worked inside. Rasputin's has come under fire with the town recently, being subject to an order of the Select Board mandating stricter guidelines.

"The Department's concern is safety and compliance with the law," reads the town's notice to Rasputin's, in a section summarizing what was said during the hearing. "The owner, Mr. [Matt] Cebula, has become combative which has caused officers responding to calls at Rasputin's to be concerned for their safety."

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An attempt to contact Cebula at the phone number listed for Rasputin's on Friday was not returned.

What was Rasputin's penalized for?

In the end, the alleged incidents that prompted violations, in the amount of six days of closure each, were:

  • Dec. 18, 2021 — Persons in possession of alcoholic beverages after hours.

  • Jan 22, 2023 — Persons in possession of alcoholic beverages after hours.

  • June 11, 2023 — Persons in possession of alcoholic beverages after hours.

  • May 7, 2023 — Persons in possession of alcoholic beverages after hours, "AND other violations of Board rules/regulations, ABCC or state law to wit disturbing the peace and sales to intoxicated persons."

  • Sept. 6-7, 2023 — Sale to an underaged person "AND other violations of Board rules/regulations, ABCC or state law to wit disturbing the peace and sales to intoxicated persons."

As a result, Rasputin's is to remain "closed and locked" for "ten (10) 24-hour periods" in December, January and February. The order goes into effect Dec. 15.

What else do they have to do?

Additionally, the Select Board's decision mandates modifications to Rasputin's liquor license. Those changes include maintaining a manager log, an ID scanner at the front door, and a minimum security schedule of one guard on Sunday-Thursday, 10 p.m. to closing; one guard Friday and Saturday from 1 p.m. to 10 p.m., then two guards from 10 p.m. to closing on those nights.

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Rasputin's is also ordered to position security cameras so that they "detect and record all people entering and exiting the establishment through the front door."

Rasputin's history

This hasn't been the first time Rasputin's operations have become a subject of scrutiny by the town. In August of 2019, the tavern's license was suspended for eight days. Allegations at the time included over serving alcohol, the sale and consumption of illegal drugs on premises, and disturbances like "noise, fighting, and public urination," according to past reporting from The Standard-Times.

This led to a signed agreement between Rasputin's and the town of Fairhaven, dated July 31, 2019, in which the town agreed to "reconsider and amend its findings of July 22, 2019 and find no violations" for a number of citations.

According to a past Standard-Times report, Rasputin's opened near the start of 2010, after the closing of Main Street Station, another bar business that had been at the location.

Rasputin's going Hollywood?

The date the Select Board's order goes into effect happens to fall on the debut of major Hollywood feature "Finestkind," coming to streaming service Paramount+ on Dec. 15.

Catch up: Hollywood movie begins filming in Fairhaven on Wednesday — here's what to know.

Back in April 2022, the "Finestkind" film crew was at Rasputin's filming scenes for the movie, which stars Oscar-winner Tommy Lee Jones, Ben Foster ("Hell or High Water,") Jenna Ortega ("Wednesday," "Scream") and Toby Wallace ("Return to Nim's Island.") The film was written by New Bedford native and UMass grad Brian Helgeland, best known for co-scripting the Oscar-winning "L.A. Confidential."

This article originally appeared on Standard-Times: Fairhaven Select Board doles out penalties on Rasputin's Tavern