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State Licenses and Permits

April 2022, Public Safety & Quality of Life Committee

200 Enterprises, Inc., located at 200 W 54th street, Ratification of letter from PSQL to SLA in response to comment deadline for the 500’ hearing for a new, on-premises liquor license for a 24-hour ground floor restaurant.

 At the regularly scheduled monthly Community Board Five meeting on Thursday, April 14, 2022, the following resolution passed with a vote of 30 in favor; 0 opposed; 1 abstaining:

Community Board Five received notice from 200 Enterprises, Inc. (“Applicant”) regarding a new on-premises liquor license for the ground floor restaurant to be located at 200 W 54th St., New York, New York, 10019 (the "Premises").

The Premises contains a total front of house floor area of approximately 2,000 square feet of interior space contained on two floors at the premises (ground floor and basement) and includes 1 entrance and 2 exits.  The estimated total capacity of the Premises is 150.

During the months of February and March of 2022, members of CB5’s Committee on Public Safety and Quality of Life (“PSQL”) met with the Applicant to discuss the proposed hours and method of operation.  What was initially a proposal that was inappropriate for the location was collegially negotiated and we arrived at a mutual agreement regarding hours and method of operation of the Premises, to wit:

• Applicant would operate the restaurant with hours: 
• • From 07:00 AM until no later than 12:00 midnight on Sunday thru Thursdays; and 
  • From 07:00 AM until no later than 02:00 AM on Friday thru Saturdays.
• Live music in the interior spaces only, limited to 2-piece non-amplified jazz acoustics

We found these hours and method of operation appropriate for the location and consistent with other similar operations in the area, which were supported by CB5.  We had no problem with these terms.

On March 9, 2022, we received correspondence from Applicant’s attorney, essentially reneging on the mutually agreed hours and method of operation.  Their new proposal was for a 24-hour operation, seven days a week, serving alcohol until 4AM every day.  They also added a live DJ, juke box, and karaoke to their entertainment lineup. It’s important to note that the Applicant’s position is not just that they are unwilling to compromise on hours. The Applicant's council explicitly said that they would not sign anything with any restrictions, including even the most basic and customary protections regarding things like promoted events, live entertainment music, and any of the other standard stipulations typically agreed to by applicants with operations in such close proximity to residences.

The Premises is located in a residential building itself and there are additional residential buildings across 54th Street.  The newly proposed hours and method of operation would not be appropriate for such a location and would be inconsistent with other operations CB5 has supported over the years.  We also received an outpouring of concern from residents in the buildings above and across the street, as well as from the West 50s Neighborhood Association.

We tried unsuccessfully to reason with the Applicant to find a compromise to make the hours and method of operation appropriate, given the residential nature of this location.

Community Board Five would never support an operation with hours and method of operation so inappropriate for its location.

We respectfully request that the State Liquor Authority deny this application.