Donovan's Bar & Grill in Manchester among 12 facing suspension

Donovan's Bar & Grill in Manchester is among 12 restaurant establishments across New Jersey facing suspension of their liquor licenses for allegedly violating Governor Phil Murphy's Executive Orders.

New Jersey Attorney General Gurbir Grewal announced Wednesday that Donovan's Bar & Grill, in particular, is facing a 25-day suspension after being cited for allowing people to be served while sitting at a bar, violating face-covering requirements and for failing to maintain a six-foot distance between tables.

The other 11 establishments on the list face a variety of citations from the ABC and length of suspensions being sought out by the state.

“As we’ve said before: we take no pleasure in undertaking these actions, but we’re in the midst of a pandemic and we need everyone in the state to do their part to combat a surge in COVID-19," Attorney General Grewal said in a statement. “We will not allow a small percentage of bars and restaurants that disregard mitigation measures to jeopardize public health, and our message is especially important as we head into the New Year’s holiday.”

“The actions announced today demonstrate ABC’s continued commitment to ensuring that all of our licensees are operating in compliance with the Governor’s COVID-19 orders in place to reduce the risk of viral spread,” James B. Graziano, Director of the Division Alcoholic Beverage Control, said in a statement. “Our enforcement actions are necessary to protect the health and well-being of all New Jerseyans and violators face significant consequences.”

The recent citations are from Executive Order No. 194 Governor Murphy signed last month which imposes a 10:00 pm curfew on all indoor food and drink services in the State and prohibits patrons from being seated at an indoor bar at all times.

EO 194 also requires establishments to limit the number of patrons allowed in indoor areas to 25 percent of the establishment’s indoor capacity, enforce face covering requirements for patrons and employees, prohibit the consumption of food and alcohol by patrons who are not seated at a table, maintain a six-foot minimum distance between dining tables, limit the number of patrons at a table to eight and enforce social distancing among employees and patrons.

As the ABC was running compliance checks, some NJ establishments were also charged with ABC violations not related to COVID-19 orders.

Here is the full list of restaurants who are facing charges:

Sarina’s Bar, Clifton. Cited for allowing patrons to consume alcohol while standing in a bar area; violating face-covering requirements; and for exceeding occupancy limits. Penalty sought: 25-day suspension.
Bar El Anochecer, Passaic. Cited for allowing patrons to be served while standing in a bar area, seated at a bar, and/or and not seated at a table; and for failing to enforce social distancing. Penalty sought: 20-day suspension.
Sports Bar Inn, Passaic. Cited for allowing patrons to be served while standing in a bar area, seated at a bar, and/or and not seated at a table; and for failing to enforce social distancing. Penalty sought: 20-day suspension.
Six26, Jersey City. Cited for violating 10 p.m. curfew and face-cover requirements; and for exceeding limit on number of patrons seated at a table. Also cited for hindering an investigation and allowing smoking indoors. Penalty sought: 85-day suspension.
La Rumba Paisa Tavern, West New York. Cited for allowing patrons to consume alcohol while standing in a bar area. Penalty sought: 10-day suspension.
Vintage Wines and Bacchus Bar, Old Bridge. Cited for allowing patrons to be served while sitting at a bar; and for violating face-covering requirements. Penalty sought: 15-day suspension.
Fat Cactus Cantina, New Brunswick. Cited for exceeding occupancy limits. Penalty sought: 10-day suspension.
El Tanampa, South River. Cited for allowing patrons to be served while sitting at a bar; and for violating face-covering requirements. Penalty sought: 15-day suspension.
Ria Mar Bar and Restaurant, South River. Cited for allowing patrons to be served while sitting at a bar; and for violating face-covering requirements. Penalty sought: 15-day suspension.
Donovans Restaurant, Manchester. Cited for allowing patrons to be served while sitting at a bar; violating face-covering requirements; and for failing to maintain a six-foot distance between tables. Penalty sought: 25-day suspension.
Bayers Tavern, Gloucester City. Cited for allowing patrons to be served while sitting at a bar. Penalty sought: 10-day suspension.
Flip Flopz, North Wildwood. Cited for failing to enforce social distancing on two separate occasions; and for violating face-covering requirements. Also cited for failing to keep an employee list on licensed premises. Penalty sought: 66-day suspension.