State officials have shut down a Wallingford bar and threatened to impound all of their booze after liquor agents discovered the bar was still slinging drinks nearly a month after the liquor board pulled its license.
Washington State Liquor Control Board (WSLCB) records say in September 2009, the Babalu Mambo Room (barf) on 45th and Wallingford Ave agreed to let the state revoke their license after the bar was busted for circumventing the state’s requirements on food sales in bars by selling TV dinners at $99 a pop.
WSLCB records say the bar’s liquor license was revoked on April 30th, but nearly a month later investigators found the bar was still open for business.
I’ve written about the state’s previous battles with Babalu, so I was surprised to see them open when I drove by the garish Wallingford bar last month and saw it was open. When I called the liquor board to ask if Babalu had gotten a new permit, they told me they were “investigating” the bar, and couldn’t give me any additional information. .
About a week later, on May 25th, WSLCB officials delivered a letter to Bablu’s owner noting that liquor agents had visited the bar on May 14th,15th and 21st, and caught the club operating without a license. Consequently, the WSLCB told Babalu’s owners they could shut down, or hand over their hooch.
You are hereby notified that as of the date of delivery of this letter, you have 24 hours to remove all liquor from the premises of Babalu [.] If this is not done by you the Enforcement Division will enter the premises and lawfully remove and confiscate all liquor.
It appears Babalu shut down after receiving the WSLCB’s letter, although sign outside the business says they are closed for “HVAC renovations.”
We’ve been told the club is applying for the state’s new nightclub license—which limits the number of hours a bar or club can be open, but frees them from the state’s pesky food requirements—but it might not be so easy for Babalu to score a new license.
The liquor board has told us the club’s capacity is maxed out at 99, and the nightlife license is only granted to clubs with a minimum capacity of 100.
We’ve heard that Babalu may have also applied for a new regular ol’ liquor license, but we’ve got a call in to the city to confirm. We’re also interested to see if the city has opposed their new application permit, in light of the bar’s shenanigans.
Babalu’s management could not be reached for comment.
