Vibe Lounge & Bistro's food licence suspended after nearby homicide
A Hintonburg lounge that residents say has become a magnet for crime in the neighbourhood has had its food licence suspended by the city, according to the local councillor.
Kitchissippi Coun. Jeff Leiper said on Twitter Thursday that Vibe Bistro & Lounge's food premises licence would be suspended until a hearing on Dec. 16 to revoke it permanently.
The move comes two days after Leslie Mwakio, a 17-year-old boy, was found shot in an SUV on Bayswater Avenue near Laurel Street at about 10:40 p.m. Tuesday. The teen was later pronounced dead in hospital.
Residents heard multiple gunshots that night and many expressed fears for their safety.
The incident renewed complaints about the Vibe lounge, which sits about a block north of the homicide scene at the corner of Bayswater and Somerset Street W., as the source of the issues.
A man was shot on the business's property in 2013 but survived. In October, shots were fired on Somerset Street W. near Bayswater but no one was injured. Leiper said there have been a number of other violent incidents.
"Residents are very concerned," said Leiper. "They talked a lot to me about the Vibe lounge."
Losing licence won't close business, Leiper says
"They were raising concerns about disruptions in the parking lot, some of the violent behaviour they have seen," he said.
Vibe has already had its alcohol licence suspended.
The lounge's manager, Sam Jahantad, said Wednesday his business was being targeted unfairly and that the shooting could have happened anywhere.
The city will argue to the licensing tribunal on Dec. 16 that Vibe's presence has had an adverse affect on the community, Leiper said.
The move, if successful, won't shut the business down, said Leiper. It will be up to the business what their next steps are if the licence is suspended.
