Norfolk might close a fourth nightclub on Granby Street, this time for overcrowding violations
Norfolk city officials might shut down another nightclub on Granby Street as part of its widening crackdown following several late-night shootings downtown.
California Burrito, which has a nightclub called “The Back” in the rear of the building, received notice this week that the City Council will consider revoking its conditional use permit because of repeated fire code violations, an action that could shut down the establishment entirely.
The club has a predominantly Latino clientele and frequently hosts Latin dance and DJ nights on weekends. It’s the fourth downtown establishment targeted by the city for closure over permitting violations this month.
California Burrito is directly across the street from Chicho’s Backstage where a shooting left three dead in March, including a Virginian-Pilot and Daily Press reporter.
City documents show California Burrito has been cited for overcrowding violations on three occasions since October 2020.
The club is allowed a maximum of 49 people inside the building. On two occasions, city inspectors found the club allowed more than 100 patrons inside. They also found electrical, food safety and security violations, including that the club’s security cameras were not working, during a 2020 inspection.
For those reasons, the city government is recommending City Council revoke California Burrito’s permit.
If it’s taken away, the action would force California Burrito to close until it obtains a new zoning certificate to operate as a restaurant. It could then reopen without alcohol sales and with a nightly closing time of midnight.
Miguel Roldan, the owner of California Burrito, declined to comment at the advice of his lawyer. Molly Dey, the owner of the building that houses California Burrito, also declined to comment.
Norfolk city officials have offered limited information about how the city is determining which businesses are targeted for closure, and the order in which they are being brought before council.
Norfolk spokesman Chris Jones told The Virginian-Pilot on Tuesday the city is “calling in” business operators with multiple violations.
“Whenever city staff encounters repeated violations, a business operator will be called in. Such action doesn’t necessarily mean a business will have its use permit revoked, but the operators will need to appear and address the matter. The council will then act accordingly, based on the facts presented,” Jones said.
But there are some clubs on Granby Street with past fire code violations that have not been called before council that have been near the scene of a violent incident, according to the city’s open data website, which publicizes all city fire code violations.
Chicho’s, for instance, logged four fire code violations in 2019, according to city data. But the club has not had its conditional use permit revoked by the city.
Jones said the city and police investigated Chicho’s and did not find evidence of any violation of its conditional use permit.
“There is likewise no evidence to date suggesting Chico’s practices contributed to the violence that occurred outside of the business on March 19, 2022,” Jones said.
There has also been little explanation from the city government about how shuttering nightclubs will prevent gun violence from occurring. Most of the city’s shootings occur outside the downtown area, according to police data obtained by The Virginian-Pilot.
Councilman Tommy Smigiel said the city’s efforts are aimed at freeing up additional police officers who are spending an increasing amount of time patrolling downtown Norfolk and Granby Street on weekends.
“We need to continue to hold the night clubs accountable that are operating bad businesses and bringing bad actors to our city,” Smigiel said in a recent social media post. “Policing downtown Norfolk on Granby St. is eating up our police officer’s time when they could be providing additional patrols in our neighborhood(s).”
The crackdown on nightclubs began shortly after a quadruple shooting at Legacy Restaurant and Lounge that occurred in the early morning hours of Aug. 5. City Manager Chip Filer held a press conference the same day announcing that conditional use permits for downtown businesses would be “evaluated.”
Since then, city officials closed Culture Restaurant & Lounge for violations of its restaurant zoning certificate, and City Council voted to close Legacy on Sept. 13 for violating security protocols. The council will vote on whether to revoke Scotty Quixx’s permit Sept. 27 for a meals tax violation, and will vote on whether to revoke California Burrito’s permit Oct. 11.
The council adopted a new policy prior to revoking Legacy’s permit that changed the city’s existing restaurant and nightclub permitting rules. The policy effectively shutters nightclubs and restaurants when a permit is revoked by banning the sale of alcohol. In the past, a permit revocation allowed the nightclubs to continue selling alcohol on premises with reduced hours.
Daniel Berti, daniel.berti@virginiamedia.com
