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See update below
The Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission (TABC) released a list of bars that had their liquor license suspended for refusing to comply with Governor Abbott’s June 26 order to close — and that list included sports bar The Park at the Domain. Its liquor license will be suspended for 30 days — perhaps a moot point, since bars have been ordered to close indefinitely anyway.
Per the TABC press release, its agents visited 1,500 Texas bars (defined as earning at least 51% of their revenue from alcohol sales) over the weekend and found 59 operating in violation of the governor’s order. Of those, 52 agreed to close immediately but seven, including The Park, refused to comply and had their liquor licenses suspended for 30 days.
Per TABC Public Information Officer Chris Porter, the 30 days of suspension start when the order is signed, rather than when bars can reopen. That means if bars remain closed across the state for another 30 days, the bars found in violation essentially face no repercussions.
Prior to its suspension, The Park had posted pictures on its Instagram of people congregating at the bar, which would have been a violation under the governor’s previous orders, too. (The Park also has a location on South Lamar, though that location was not found in violation.) One of the Park’s owners, Jeff Van Delden, is on the board of the Texas Bar and Nightlife Alliance, which is planning to sue the governor over his order to shut down bars.
TABC has previously suspended the liquor licenses of Buford’s Beer Garden, Whiskey Tango Foxtrot, Soho Lounge, and the West Sixth location of controversial bar Unbarlievable for not following social distancing guidelines. This all comes as Texas continues to see record numbers of COVID-19 cases.
Eater has reached out to The Park for comment and will update accordingly.
Update, July 2: According to social media posts by The Park, their liquor license was incorrectly suspended and has been reinstated. Calls to The Park and TABC have not been returned.
