The Virginian-Pilot
©
VIRGINIA BEACH
During a Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control hearing Friday, the owner of a Haygood nightclub said he knew Saturdays were dubbed "Lesbian Night" at his club and that patrons would often perform songs and dances on those nights.
But Phillip Cradle said he never hired strippers or had any knowledge of people taking their clothes off at his club, Hartz Cafe.
That's what an undercover Alcoholic Beverage Control agent said happened early March 7, when he recorded an entertainer and a patron undressing and simulating sex acts on the cafe's dance floor. State code prohibits nude acts at businesses that serve liquor.
If an Alcoholic Beverage Control hearing officer finds that evidence and testimony presented during the hearing substantiate the agent's claims, Hartz Cafe could face a fine or suspension of its mixed beverage license. The decision will be released in 30 to 45 days.
Cradle said he has fired the employees present during the incident, which the agent said occurred shortly after 1 a.m. at the club at 1049 Independence Blvd.
"I will admit that I am responsible for everything that happened," he said. "It shouldn't have happened... I've done everything I can to ensure that doesn't happen again."
The agency fined Hartz Cafe, which is licensed as Salty Dogs Inc., $1,200 earlier this month for allowing a patron to simulate a sex act back in September, said Robert O'Neal, the chief hearing officer.
If additional violations like that occur, Hartz Cafe could be in jeopardy of losing its liquor license permanently, O'Neal said.
"These things are far outside the boundaries of what can take place inside an ABC restaurant," he said. "You need to get a handle on what's going on there," he later added.
The agent who investigated the case dropped one charge against Hartz Cafe alleging the club had failed to maintain peace and good order, grounds for Alcoholic Beverage Control license revocation.
Cradle said a few intoxicated patrons simply got out of hand during the incident.
"I would not approve of nothing like that, never," he said. "I care about the community."
Kathy Adams, (757) 222-5155, kathy.adams@pilotonline.com
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you this is real mest up
You go after this club for this, Yet you have Atlantis, Mermaids, Peabodys, the edge, 111 and more. pulling this crap all the time. some how they get away with it, With out being touch. buy ABC, or the city. I guess they know the right people to get out form under the laws and city codes. My question is why we going so hard on this guy and yet not touch the other places. Heck, the girls of other club have photos up what goes in there on there myspace and facebook pages. you can't make it any ezer to bust them for this stuff. An yet nuthing happens to these guys. WHY?
When do people tell the truth
and take responsibility. Our society has depleted their moral values. It really does not matter if they did or did not have clothes on, what matters is this bar owner stating that he did not hire strippers. Ok, then what do you term the kind of women that take off their clothes in bars and are paid for it? And, if he had guts, he would step up to the plate and take responsibility...." I did not have sex with THAT woman"!
Cause and effect
Don't you people know that it was people like that, dressing immodestly that causes natural disasters like earthquakes and volcanic eruptions? It must be true,a religious leader said so!
The VB Taliban
We have our own version of the taliban in Virginia Beach. They're the people who are more concerned about a woman wearing a thong on the beach than a woman being assaulted by a bunch of thugs on a bike path. They're the ones who are more concerned about two consenting adults in the act of prostitution than a family falling victim to a home invasion or some other violent crime. This nonsense has got to stop! We need common sense, not a bunch of hysterical puritans running the show.
Set Up
Sounds to me that it may have been a set up from a competitor, just think If I call ABC and report this may be happening then they shut him down and I make more money! Then I send two people in and they put on an act, Did they arrest the people doing the alleged act or charge them for any CRIME??? Public Nudity is against the Law isn't it??? Maybe the ABC agent didn't get his free tide's game ticket's??
>I have been in there a few
>I have been in there a few times and have never seen anyone remove their clothes.
yeah me too. Can't believe I missed that. Sad.
But really, who cares? If that type of behavior bothers you, go home and go to sleep before 1am.
Seems a little strange
that there just "happened" to be an ABC undercover investigator there to witness this behavior that supposedly wasn't a common occurrence. Seems either that this must happen fairly frequently or this was some sort of set up.
"The ABC Special Agent..
....in charge of the investigation presented video clips of the acts"
Outstanding "Police" work!
We can..catch people kissing at 1am, we can catch more drunk drivers leaving all bars, catch drug dealers, catch pot smokers, we can even send ABC agents into schools to tape videos of cheating on SOL's. We can even tape closed town meeting's with developers. People, there is big money in this. I mean really, look at all the ads you see on late night cable for "Girls Gone Wild"-Heyy, wait a minute...can they show those kind of vid clips in Virginia Beach on people's televisions?
Heyyy...we can tape videos outside people's living rooms and fine them for watching lewd acts! See..I told you so..its a pure money maker! Might even bring in some additional revenue for Norfolk as well since they lost the cruise lines.
Thank you pat robertson
Well we see who really runs this bible belt state. Jesus was so against nudity. How dare people show the naked body that God created. Jesus doesn't want us to focus on helping the poor, sick, imprisoned. No, He wants us to chase after people who show a little flesh. These phony christians have got to go. Now I can see why the English kicked the puritans out.
O-M-G Simulated Sex is So Dirty! It's EVIL! It's From Satan!
Someone call 911! I think I saw two people kissing in the mall! We need more of our law enforcement focusing on preventing anything that goes against our puritanical instincts instead of worrying about silly things like violent crimes.