It is business as usual at Aqua Beach Restaurant and Bar despite the Liquor Licensing Board placing the popular nightspot on probation at its last annual meeting.
Contrary to what was reported in last Thursday’s edition of Cayman Net News, Aqua Beach is permitted to serve alcohol and play live music while on probation.
‘We are open, serving alcohol and playing music,’ said Aqua Beach general manager Jason Moir. ‘We’re under probation because the volume of our music was affecting neighbours and the probation is to make sure we fall under guidelines on this. The Liquor Board is keeping a watchful eye on us.’
The erroneous report has caused Aqua Beach a hassle, and Mr. Moir also worries it might affect business.
‘We had about 20 phone calls from people yesterday (Thursday) asking if we are serving alcohol and if we are open,’ he said. ‘It’s great that these people have made an effort to call but it is those that have not called that could have an effect on us.
‘I find it irresponsible of the newspaper not to have called us or checked out the facts properly. It frustrates me,’ he said.
The bar’s licences being on probation is an issue that will be reviewed at the next Liquor Licensing Board meeting in December.
Following a Liquor Licensing Board meeting on Thursday 28 September, a decision was also made not to place the Next Level Nightclub on probation. However, the Board has instructed the Liquor Inspector to monitor operations at the club for the next three months. The Board will review the situation at its next quarterly session in December.
The Liquor Licensing Board made the decisions regarding Aqua Beach and the Next Level following an objection against the renewal of their licences at the Board’s annual session on 14 September.
Some tenants and visitors to Regal Beach Condominiums had complained of sleepless nights because of noise levels from open-air Aqua Beach across the road.
Mr. Moir said Aqua Beach has now turned down its music levels substantially and is now looking at rearranging its speakers and installing volume limiters on its sound system. Also being looked at is rearranging the position of the stage in order to mitigate noise.
At the meeting on 14 September, attorney representing Regal Beach’s interests, Chris Johnston, said the complaints mostly concerned noise and loud music.
Noting Section 9 (1) (e) of the liquor Licensing Law stating that a premises ‘Will not cause inconvenience to the occupiers of neighbouring properties’, Mr. Johnston said that these issues are in contravention to that.
He pointed to the fact that the stage at Aqua Beach faces toward the road, with no mitigating measures to keep sounds at an acceptable level.
The Next Level Nightclub was also included in complaints brought up at the Annual Liquor Licensing meeting, but concerned the behaviours of patrons after leaving the nightclub.
Clyde Allen, the attorney representing Aqua Beach and the Next Level, offered a solution to mitigating noise levels from Aqua Beach: to turn all speakers to face directly inwards into the bar. Some speakers were currently facing the road, he said.
He also proposed purchasing special equipment, to be attached to the sound system which would keep the noise to an agreed level.
He asked that the Liquor Board allow these proposed noise reduction systems be put in place and tested. If a problem still persists they can come back before the board again, he said.
Related Videos
