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City pulls bar business license after continued police response

Posted at 10:57 PM, Mar 31, 2016
and last updated 2016-03-31 22:57:36-04

WYOMING, Mich. -- A Wyoming bar's business license was suspended this week over concerns of frequent disorderly conduct and violence.

Cocktailz Bar and Grill, located at 1001 Chicago Drive, had its doors closed Wednesday by the city of Wyoming on a recommendation from police.

Captain Kim Koster says they've been dealing with frequent over-crowding and violence for the past few years.

"At this point we feel before somebody gets hurt, a patron or somebody in the community gets hurt, it's time for us to really call attention to a significant problem we're seeing here," said Koster. "We have met with the owner and management, we've given them constructive ideas on how to improve security, how to make it a safe place."

President of WYGR 94.9 F.M., Robert Womack has promoted events for Cocktailz Bar, and disagrees with police, saying that the events they promote had run smoothly at the bar this past month, with no violence or problems at all.

"It's been peaceful every time we've been there," Womack said.

But Koster says that wasn't the case last weekend.

"Last weekend we had another incident where so many people were in the parking lots overflowing into the neighborhood parking lots of other businesses and disorder behavior," Koster told FOX 17 News. "It took us several officers to get the situation in control."

FOX 17 reached out to the owner of Cocktailz Bar, but have yet to get a response back.

The Wyoming City Council has the bar and its future on its agenda this upcoming Monday, where a decision on their business license will be made.

"Anytime any business in West Michigan or Grand Rapids closes and you have entrepreneurs who are trying to do something positive to have a dream I think it's sad no matter what business it is," said Womack.