State officials suspended the liquor permit of a Meriden bar involved in a spate of recent violent incidents, the Department of Consumer Protection (DCP) announced this week.
Tequila Galore Lounge and Grill, at 575 N. Colony Street in Meriden, was the site of several large melees and two shootings in recent weeks, according to the DCP. On May 30, the bar was the scene of a large fight and shooting in which seven rounds were fired and one person was injured.
Blood spatter was found inside the bar after the incident. Management told police that there was a fight inside the bar between groups of people from Middletown and Meriden preceding the shooting.
Another shooting was reported at Tequila Galore on May 14. On March 12, the bar was the setting for a large disturbance that resulted in injuries. Two people were hurt in the melee and 12 police officers were needed to disperse the crowd.
Meriden Deputy Police Chief Jerry Scully said, “We have seen persistent issues with their customers, employees, and received numerous complaints from neighbors… Gunfire, combined with crowds of patrons, passing vehicles, and a residential/commercial mix is a serious threat to the health, safety and welfare of everyone.”
DCP Commissioner Michelle H. Seagull signed the suspension order Wednesday. “It is clear from these repeated events that Tequila Galore is operated in a manner that compromises the health and safety of the public,” Seagull said.
Under the suspension, the bar cannot serve alcohol and must stay closed until further notice.
The permittee for the bar, Drew Durant, was approved for final liquor permit status on Jan. 6, with the permit set to expire prior to the suspension on November 22. Durant could not be reached for comment.