• Loch Nez, formerly known as Bucholz Tavern, 752 East Huffman Ave.
• Reggies Wall of Fame Foundation, which operates the Envy Lounge, 212 South Ludlow St. Envy was formerly known as the A-List Lounge.
• Hammerjax Dayton, LLC., 111 N. Fourth St.
• Nathans, 3219 Delphos Ave.
• JPS, 514 N. Gettysburg Ave.
• Food City, 1829 Germantown St.
The owners of Loch Nez, Envy Lounge, Hammerjax and Food City all told commissioners that they have had issues at their establishments, but are confused as to why their licenses are in jeopardy, especially since they claim to have been working with police to improve their safety measures.
“We’re very diligent in protecting our patrons, our neighbors, my family. I’m not sure what else I can do,” said Sheryl Williams, owner of Loch Nez, while addressing the commissioners. “I’d love to have a continuing relationship with the police and find out what more I can do.”
Jerry Booher, owner of Hammerjax, told the commissioners that he felt police did not give an accurate portrayal of events that have taken place at his downtown nightclub to the local media outlets.
“I think we’re put at a disadvantage all the time because they don’t get the true facts about our club,” he said. “We have a clean club inside. We have good, respectable people who pay taxes in the city of Dayton who come to our club. We take care of all those people. We protect all those people. We don’t have any problems inside. It seems like if people leave, they go outside, go down the street somewhere and have a problem. That’s not our problem.”
But it is their problem, according to John Danish, the city’s law director.
“They create an environment where (trouble) starts inside the bar and finishes outside the bar,” Danish told the commissioners.
The business owners can voice their objections at the April 18 commission meeting, where the resolutions regarding the liquor permits will be read to the public again.
If the city commissioners vote to approve the objections to the renewals of these liquor permits, then they will contact the state and recommend that these permits be revoked.
Read more about the responses of the owners and Dayton police in Thursday’s newspaper edition of the Dayton Daily News.
Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2414 or kelli.wynn@coxinc.com.
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