Community Board Frowns Upon Roberta's Tiki Tent

Could this be the end of the tiki tent? DNAinfo learns that two of the owners of Roberta's in Bushwick (AKA Party Central, U.S.A.) appeared at a Community Board 1 meeting last week to fight for the right to serve liquor in the covered outdoor space behind the restaurant. Apparently, they have been operating the tiki tent without a proper permit for months now, although they only recently became aware of the fact that they were breaking the rules. One of the owners told the Community Board, "We were informed this was illegitimate so we're trying to legitimize it." The partners applied for a liquor license for the space, and they will go before the CB 1 this month to rally support.

The issue here is that the CB 1 might not give them initial approval because of the fact that they already opened the bar without the proper paperwork. Also, some neighbors have complained about the noise coming from the tent. At last week's meeting, the liquor license committee chair told the Roberta's crew, "Clearly there's a notion in this neighborhood you're doing something wrong." Hopefully, this will all get sorted out quickly, because drinking beer in the tiki tent is an essential part of the Roberta's experience.
· Roberta's Tiki Tent Faces Closure After Illegally Serving Alcohol [DNAinfo]
· All Coverage of Roberta's [~ENY~]
[Photo: NY Journal]