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Have a Nice Day Cafe loses liquor license

Posted at 2:20 PM, Aug 26, 2013
and last updated 2013-08-26 15:26:04-04

RICHMOND, Va (WTVR) - An infamous Shockoe Bottom nightclub has lost its permit to serve mixed beverages.  According to the Virginia Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control, Have a Nice Day Cafe failed to meet the standards of a "mixed beverage restaurant."

The nightclub had been under investigation by ABC agents since 2011, according to documents from an initial hearing.  ABC officials decided to revoke the club's mixed beverage license back in April; however, the owners appealed the decision.

Following the appeal, ABC upheld the decision because officials determined their food menu did not include entrees. BONUS: Read report from initial ABC hearing.

Have a Nice Day can still serve beer and wine.

Business owners around S. 18th St., where the club is located, said the crowds have dwindled in recent months.

Have a Nice Day had been a point of contention for some business owners and residents in the area.  Multiple shootings, two of which were fatal, happened just outside of the three-story brick building over the past few years.

David Napier, president of the Shockoe Bottom Neighborhood Association, said over the phone Monday that he had met with the club's owners in the past.  Napier said the club had ramped up its security efforts since a new ownership group took over a few years back.

Juan Braxton, manager at Have a Nice Day, said they "accept ABC's ruling."

He and the ownership group at the club are working on different projects in the Shockoe Bottom area, Braxton said.

When asked about the violence that has occurred near his establishment over the years, Braxton said the are "totally against it."  He added that they want business to thrive in Shockoe Bottom and that they "take it heart" when something tragic happens.

According to ABC officials, Have a Nice Day failed to keep proper supply records, but the loss of their mixed beverage license resulted from their failure to qualify as a "mixed beverage restaurant" due to the limited menu offered.