SLA Revokes What Happens When's Liquor License

Two months after chef John Fraser's temporary restaurant installation What Happens When appeared before Community Board 2 in a couple of contentious meetings, the State Liquor Authority has revoked its liquor license. The neighbors argued that the restaurant simply inherited its license from the previous tenant and didn't have to go through the application process that other new operators go through. And a disapproval letter from the SLA following an investigation shows that they concur. They write:

We disapprove the application for the following reasons: An authorized person did not sign the renewal application. The licensee allowed persons not approved by the Authority to avail its license. Significant alterations were made to the licensed premises without first obtaining Authority approval as required by Section 99(d) (1) of the Alcoholic Beverage Control Law

According to a statement from Fraser, they will remain open but "will not be serving any alcohol and are unable to accommodate BYOB." In addition, the Omnivore dinners, which were scheduled to take place at the SoHo restaurant beginning June 9th, have been moved to Dovetail.

The team is in the process of appealing the decision, and according to Fraser, the SLA may make a determination on the measure soon: "We are open and still serving terrific food with fantastic ambiance and music. I hope to have a resolution next week. I don't need to get drunk to have fun!"

Download a PDF of the disapproval letter here, and stay tuned for more. Hopefully they'll be able to turn it around.
· What Happens When Hits Snafu with Community Board 2 [~ENY~]
· All What Happens When coverage [-ENY-]
The interior design for the restaurant's current movement [Photo: What Happens When]