Trop West is just a portion of Paul’s Tavern in Lake Como

Skellinger

After nearly two hours of deliberating and fielding comments from the public, the governing body, acting as the Lake Como Alcohol and Beverage Control [ABC] Board, unanimously voted to approve the liquor license of Paul’s Tavern, located at 1703 Main St., on Tuesday evening.

The liquor license was filed under the name of Payday Inc., a corporation owned by both Paul Heaney, owner of Paul’s Tavern, and Reggie Hyde, owner of Bar Anticipation, located on 16th Avenue.

The license was renewed for the period of July 1, 2008 through June 30, 2009.

While no conditions were placed on the license on Tuesday evening, Mr. Heaney agreed to ban beer pong from being played at his establishment after the board asked him if he would consider doing so.

Councilman Brian Wilton had noted that beer pong was both “unsanitary” and “encouraged binge drinking.”

According to Rachel Goemaat, a spokeswoman for The New Jersey Division of Alcohol and Beverage Control [ABC], “there is no law or regulation prohibiting beer pong on a licensed premises or prohibiting a licensee from having a promotion involving beer pong where it is advertised that beer pong will be played at a bar.”

“However, the Division of Alcoholic Beverage Control has sent a strong message to the industry that licensees who hold promotions that tend to encourage overconsumption will face stiffer penalties if they are found guilty of violating the rule against serving intoxicated patrons,” Ms. Goemaat said. “Holding such promotions will be deemed an “aggravated factor” for such violations which can lead to a longer license suspension.”

According to a police report, submitted by Lake Como Detective Sgt. Joseph Oleszkiewicz detailing the annual investigation of the ABC licensed premises, the Lake Como Police Department responded to 17 calls for service at Paul’s Tavern from April 24, 2007 to April 24, 2008.

Officers from the department responded to one call for assault, four calls for disorderly conduct, four calls for first aid, one call for aggravated assault, two calls for noise complaints, four miscellaneous calls and one call for criminal mischief, according to the report.

Sgt. Oleszkiewicz informed the board, “The majority of the ‘disorderly’ were outside of the establishment, which also resulted in arrests and complaints being issued.”

While the board found no cause in the report to place conditions on the license, the public disagreed.

Trop West — a portion of Paul’s Tavern recently named after Belmar’s recently razed, infamous watering hole, The Tropical Pub — was the main cause for concern for the residents in attendance at the hearing on Tuesday.

George Pappas, owner of The Tropical Pub for nearly four decades, is now the general manager of Payday Inc., the corporation under which Paul’s Tavern’s liquor license is filed.

Mr. Pappas sold his liquor license for The Tropical Pub to Belmar resident William Shipers and his wife, Deborah, when he sold the property where The Tropical Pub used to stand. The Shipers agreed to pocket the license and have not yet disclosed what they plan to do with it.

According to Mr. Heaney’s statements on Tuesday, Mr. Pappas is merely an employee of Payday Inc.

While it was rumored by many in the audience that Mr. Pappas was operating his own business out of the tavern under the name of Trop West, Mr. Heaney assured the public that the rumors were just that, rumors.

Mr. Heaney and his wife, Margaret, are still the sole owners of the establishment, Mr. Heaney informed the public.

Mr. Pappas manages the tavern and the Trop West, which mirrors The Tropical Pub in its décor, food, drinks, bar games, such as beer pong and bingo, and employees, many of whom are former employees of The Tropical Pub.

While residents expressed concern that Mr. Pappas was reaping additional monetary benefits from The Tropical Pub’s name being used to draw large crowds to the tavern, Mr. Heaney explained that Mr. Pappas receives a weekly salary like all of his employees and receives no additional payment for the use of The Tropical Pub name or the crowds the name draws to the establishment.

Mayor Michael Ryan informed those in the audience that the borough has been in contact with Mr. Heaney in regards to whether Mr. Pappas had any ownership in the tavern since the portion of the tavern marketed as Trop West came into existence.

Mr. Heaney had told Borough Attorney William Gallagher prior to the hearing on Tuesday evening that he and his wife remain the sole owners of the tavern, Mr. Gallagher said.

If two businesses, one owned by Mr. Pappas under the name of Trop West and one owned by Mr. Heaney under the name of Paul’s Tavern, were operating under one liquor license, that would be illegal. However, that is not the case, Mr. Gallagher added.

Mayor Ryan explained that the naming of a portion of the tavern as Trop West was merely a marketing strategy being used by Mr. Heaney.

“I’m here to tell you there is no Tropical Pub at Paul’s Tavern,” Mr. Heaney reiterated. “There is Paul’s Tavern. It is owned by Margaret Heaney, my wife of 46 years, and myself.

“That’s the facts,” Mr. Heaney added. “That’s how it is.”

“A good guy came along, I hired him,” Mr. Heaney said of Mr. Pappas, whom he added was “not just the general manager of one room or two rooms, but the general manager of Payday Incorporated.”

“That’s [Mr. Pappas’] job,” Mr. Heaney said. “That’s his title. He owns nothing.”

Tom McCann, owner of McCann’s Tavern, on Main Street, in Lake Como, sent a letter to the borough expressing his disapproval of the way in which Paul’s Tavern is being marketed as an offshoot of The Tropical Pub and the possible legalities of what he believed to be two businesses operating under one liquor license, prior to speaking at Tuesday’s hearing.

“The opening of The Tropical Pub West will not help the town move in the positive direction it started,” Mr. McCann stated in his letter, which was read aloud by Mr. Gallagher at the hearing. “Main Street in Lake Como has come a long way in the last few years. This town does not have room for another Bar Anticipation.”

Mr. McCann, like many residents in attendance, also expressed his disapproval of the marketing strategies being used to promote the Trop West portion of the tavern.

A recent advertisement for the Trop West featured a bikini-clad woman lying seductively across lettering which read “Trop West.”

“It seems likely that objections over an advertisement featuring a provocative young lady, resting atop the new Trop West logo, pushing dollar beers every Tuesday is just the beginning,” Mr. McCann stated in the letter.

Mr. Heaney later responded to the audience’s dislike for the advertisement, stating that he too believed the advertisement to be “despicable” and claimed that he did not review the advertisement prior to it being distributed in the form of a flier.

Residents also voiced a number of complaints about the establishment, ranging from excess noise to litter and rowdy crowds. Many residents claimed the patrons frequenting the Trop West were to blame.

According to a letter submitted by Lake Como resident Vincent Mineo and read aloud by Mr. Gallagher, Mr. Mineo stated that he would have reconsidered purchasing two homes on Fernwood Road had he known “a Tropical Pub was going to be two blocks” from the properties.

Resident Kylie Schneider, who recently purchased a new home on a lot located to the rear of Paul’s Tavern, stated that she would not have bought the property if she had known a portion of Paul’s Tavern was going to be named Trop West and, in turn, attract rowdy crowds to the establishment.

Joe Maguire, owner of Little Artists, on Main Street, argued bar games such as beer pong and bingo attract rowdy crowds to the establishment.

He added that the use of The Tropical Pub name “scares people” into thinking that Trop West will cause as much controversy in town as The Tropical Pub did in Belmar previously.

Many other residents, such as Belmar Board of Education President Robert Kirk, urged the council to consider the Trop West’s impact on residents’ quality of life.

The board members were advised by Mr. Gallagher that they could only base their votes Tuesday evening on the police report placed before them, as none of the residents’ complaints had been filed with police prior to the hearing and, therefore, could not be used as evidence.

Mayor Ryan added that, while the residents were entitled to their concerns, the board could not “legislate the future” and needed to have documented complaints in hand in order to put conditions on Mr. Heaney’s liquor license.

Councilman Douglas Witte and Councilwoman Patricia Tzibrouk stated, prior to voting in favor of the application, that while they did understand the concerns of the residents, their decisions were based on the facts brought before them by the police department.

Councilman Kevin Lynch urged Mr. Heaney to approve all advertisements prior to mailing out fliers or placing ads in local publications.

The board agreed that should issues arise at the tavern after the license is renewed, the issues will be addressed accordingly.

The board also approved the liquor license of Weinstein’s Liquors, located at 1601 Main St., on Tuesday evening, without further comment from the board or the public, for the period of July 1, 2008 to June 30, 2009.