The Bank, a popular Mexican dining establishment in Old Town Temecula, has lost its license to serve alcohol, offer live entertainment and stay open late, leading the owners to close its doors Sunday, Might 7.
More than 45 years ago, The Bank replaced the very first nationwide bank called The Temecula Bank, integrated in 1914 and has actually been serving Mexican cuisine since 1978.
Owners Ryan Parent and Amanda Lane allege that, by revoking its license the city mishandled legal documents, revealed bias against their Latino and Black clientele and is attempting to roll back the growing night life in Old Town.
In a news release, city officials stated the restaurant "continually broken" the conditions of its city authorization. The city alleges those violations include:
- Operating beyond 11 p.m., the end of its approved company hours.
- Selling alcohol after 11 p.m., the end of its approved organization hours.
- Providing live entertainment and music that didn't abide by requirements in the license, such as by utilizing a DJ with amplified sound pointed toward the street.
- Creating excessive noise that exceeds the decibels permitted by the license and Temecula's municipal code.
In addition, Capt. Chris
Durham, of the
Riverside County Sheriff's Department's Southwest Station, said in an e-mail that the violations led to reports of "fights, public intoxication, DUI's, and … … various misdemeanor arrests."
The dining establishment's co-owners reject a number of the city's allegations and stated they have the documents and evidence to prove it.
In September, Administrative Law Judge Nve-Perkins chose to have the restaurant's conditional use permit withdrawed. The city's planning commission on March 1 agreed with that choice. And, at a special Temecula City Council meeting on April 11, members unanimously approved the decision after hearing from both sides.
Mayor Zak Schwank stated a successful Old Town Temecula is more then simply individuals out late drinking which The Bank isn't good for business in Temecula.
City officials stated it was time to act, after 17 months of infractions of the authorization's cops and conditions proof that The Bank was a "disorderly home," stated Jennifer Petrusis, an attorney representing the city stated throughout the unique meeting.
< img decoding =" async" class =" lazyautosizes lazyload "src ="/ wp-content/uploads/2023/ 05/RPE-L-OLDBANK -0505 -04 -01." They are simply blaming us for everything, from fights to a shooting that took place down the street," Parent said, referring to comments made at the city council hearing. "We actually have evidence, physical proof, against what they're stating, but it does not appear to matter to them.
They stated they worked with the city to repair noise issues and when they got a citation for going over the allowed capacity, they complied and never ever received one again. When mentioned for being open previous 11 p.m., 97 times in 2021 and 2022, the couple got in touch with the previous owner, who said a 2008 document authorized by the city showed The Bank might stay open up until 2 a.m.
" After the previous owner, Craig Puma, sent a copy of the 2008 conditional use permit usage the city, showing them revealing can be open til 2 a.m., they didn't do anything except fine other than," Lane said. "I attempted multiple times to get them to look into it, no reaction to phone calls, I went up and waited at City Hall to meet with somebody to get it fixed.
Moms and dad thinks that, when Puma asked for changes to the authorization in 2012 to host live home entertainment, the city incorrectly input info onto a file from 2007 that didn't include the prolonged hours authorized in 2008 allowing the restaurant to stay open till 2 a.m.
Petrusis, at the special meeting, said authorities revoked the 2 a.m. extension when the business requested the 2012 changes, though in the Sept. 1 administrative hearing, transcripts showed that when asked if the city notified Puma of the modification in hours, Stuart Fisk, the city's planning supervisor in 2012, said no.
" It was a fight in between us and the city," Parent said. "Even though in the hearings and in the April council meeting we showed how over 90 citations were wrongfully released for being open at 2 a.m. It didn't seem to matter."
Lane stated a bulk of the restaurant's customers consists of Latino and Black homeowners. She alleged that Sgt. Joshua Hephner of the
Riverside County Sheriff's Department made discriminative declarations about the dining establishment's security personnel throughout the administrative hearing.
( The Bank) having security there that attracts - - you understand, when you have people working there that are on probation, a criminal record, etc," Hephner stated, according to records from the hearing. "Those people are normally not hanging out with the most upstanding residents, and typically hang out with other probationers and people that have criminal records."
Lane said none of their security personnel had criminal backgrounds.
Riverside County Sheriff's Department representatives did not respond Friday, May 5, when inquired about the allegation.
" Even if we did work with felons, why would that be a bad thing to get individuals back on their feet?" Parent included.
The city responded to preliminary questions, but did not respond when inquired about allegations the dining establishment owners made in their defense.
Now, Lane and Parent prepare to close The Bank on Sunday, May 7, and vacate the building by May 30. The couple also plans to sue the city.
" There were no cautions, just citations and we would have closed down earlier if we closed at 11 a.m. on the very first citation," Parent stated. "We didn't desire it to go this far, our companied believe that it was a simple error, something to simply repair, but they were just combative."
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