The historic White Horse Tavern in Greenwich Village has shut down after having its liquor license suspended this week for repeatedly violating NYC's social distancing rules over the last month, according to the State Liquor Authority (SLA). It is the first bar or restaurant to see its liquor license suspended for such violations since outdoor dining restarted in Phase 2, which the city entered on June 22nd.

The SLA issued the emergency suspension on July 8th after several alleged incidents which they documented in a release. The bar has been hit with thirty violations altogether, including "multiple counts of failure to comply with Governor Cuomo’s Executive Orders concerning COVID-19 restaurant restrictions, operating an unauthorized outdoor bar and failure to supervise the licensed premises."

Patrons gathered outside during Phase 1, on June 12th

Scott Lynch / Gothamist

The SLA says they sent an undercover investigator there way before that however, during Phase 1, when patrons were already gathering to drink on the sidewalk outside of the Tavern.

On June 14th, the investigator was able to purchase alcohol without food at the outdoor bar, in violation of the state guidelines. On June 6th, 9th and 13th, the SLA received reports from the NYPD that "as many as one-hundred patrons gathered outside the tavern with an illegal bar set up and music blaring and, each time, the owner or manager was warned about Executive Order violations."

Then on June 20th, members of the New York State Task Force visited the White Horse and saw 67 people drinking in front of the premises. The SLA charged the bar with three violations. On June 26th, police officers met with the owner regarding "numerous complaints of noise and social distancing violations," and officials "also observed an illegal wooden patio platform that extended dangerously out onto the street."

"I walked by [on June 26th] and noticed what can best be described as a 'holding pen,'" attorney Arthur Schwartz, a Democratic District Leader in the Greenwich Village and political director of NY Progressive Action Network, told Gothamist. "There is no social distancing, no wearing masks. I thought one of the guidelines for outdoor seating was to have social distancing."

A day later, NYPD officers responded to a 311 call there and discovered "a crowd of approximately 100 patrons drinking on the sidewalk and street directly in from of the bar"; they issued a summons for disorderly premises.

Then on July 4th, the NYPD again responded to large crowds outside the establishment, without masks or practicing social distancing. They White Horse was cited for violating a Department of Transportation rule requiring outdoor activities to cease at 11 p.m. 

“Despite numerous warnings, this licensee continued to recklessly violate protocols that have helped to dramatically slow the spread of the coronavirus throughout New York,” said SLA Chairman Vincent Bradley. “The SLA will not hesitate to take action against licensees who jeopardize lives and threaten the progress our state has made.”

In a post on Facebook, the White Horse acknowledged they are temporarily closed for business while their license is suspended.

"We had multiple violations for over crowding on our sidewalk and street cafe that the city granted as a lifeline to help save local restaurants. We are the first to admit we were overwhelmed with the demand and weren’t prepared with the staff to deal with the over crowding. We attempted to adapt and come up with solutions to keep our patrons and staff safe and still remain in business. Nobody is above the law, we aren’t asking for special treatment. But I hope people realize that this new way of doing business was thrust upon us. There is no perfect way to deal with hundreds of people showing up out of the blue. We did our best and continued to try and work towards what was asked of us."

Last year, the bar—a former haunt of longshoremen and literary figures alike—was sold to the infamous landlord Steve Croman, along with the rent-stabilized apartments above it. Croman recently did a stint in prison for tax and mortgage fraud, and agreed to pay $8 million in restitution to former tenants. Eytan Sugarman, who took over the White Horse in 2019 when Croman bought the building, then relaunched it with a new upscale menu.

Sugarman told Eater that the suspension is “grossly unfair,” and that they put up signs, handed out masks, and generally tried to adjust every time the SLA or NYPD visited. "Beyond that, I can’t be the social distancing police.”