Houston Chronicle
By Jasper Scherer
HOUSTON, Texas — Three Houston bars remained open over the weekend in defiance of a statewide order mandating the closure of any establishment that generates 51 percent of its revenue from alcohol sales, Mayor Sylvester Turner announced Monday.
https://www.facebook.com/houstonmayor/posts/10158077234537535
Officials from the Houston Fire Department referred the three bars — Pour Behavior, Prospect Park and Spire Night Club — to the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission, which regulates alcohol permits around the state.
The TABC suspended Prospect Park’s alcohol permit for 30 days, the agency said, making the Galleria-area bar one of 24 across Texas to receive a permit suspension. Officials from TABC also inspected Spire and did not find a violation, spokesman Chris Porter said. A video that circulated on social media over the weekend appeared to show a shoulder-to-shoulder crowd dancing inside the club. That business could remain open because it does not meet the agency’s definition of a bar, Porter said.
It was not immediately clear Monday whether the agency had inspected Pour Behavior, Porter said.
Owners or representatives for all three businesses could not be reached for comment.
The bars also were added to the city’s so-called “wall of shame” on the city’s website for businesses found to have violated restrictions aimed at stemming the spread of COVID-19, which has spiked in Houston recently.
Roveen Abante, listed on Facebook as Pour Behavior owner, publicly took issue with the “wall of shame” designation.
“We’ve been one of only a few venues following rules and regulations,” he said Monday in a Facebook post. “In fact, your Fire Marshalls and other officials have come by over 20 times and each time, APPROVED! You should be included in your own Wall of Shame!”
Gov. Greg Abbott last Friday ordered bars to close to curtail the spiking COVID-19 infection rates around the state, but Texas bar owners have pushed back. A lawsuit filed Monday in Travis county on behalf of 30 Texas bar owners claims the order is unconstitutional and unfairly targets their businesses.
“He picks and chooses winners and losers, and if you are a bar owner...then you and your family are the losers and are sentenced to bankruptcy,” said Houston attorney Jared Woodfill, who is representing the plaintiffs.
Houston Fire Chief Sam Peña said officials responded to more than 300 complaints over the weekend and referred bars to the TABC only if they refused to close.
A spokesperson for the Harris County Fire Marshal said that office was responding to complaints about possible violations, but had not cited or referred any establishment to the TABC.
Turner also announced Monday that all July events permitted or sponsored by the city have been canceled. A list of the canceled events was not immediately available.
(c)2020 the Houston Chronicle