Save Midnight Hookah

Received August 18th, 2018 Good afternoon, Last Tuesday, a vote to impose an ordinance regarding B.Y.O.B stores and cafes in the Groton area took place. There was a majority supporting that places with B.Y.O.B licenses stop allowing the serving/drinking of alcohol at 1:00 am. As a former employee at the  Midnight   Hookah  Lounge, I believe that this ordinance will hinder the store's business as many of our customers come late at night. The store offers a secure area for people to gather on the weekends. We have three professional and experienced security guards and have had no problems with the town. Hossam AbuDawood, owner of the store, has always followed the law to the book and has taken every measure to provide this fun and safe place for the town of Groton. Mr.AbuDawood is also present at the store during all operating hours. Moreover, police are and have always been welcome to pass by the store. The store's doors are always open to the sheriff and to the t...

Hossam Abudawood =============== Groton, CT  06340 Representative Town Meeting Groton Town Hall 45 Fort Hill Road Groton, CT 06340 August 15th, 2018 Dear Representative Town Meeting Members, Please allow me to introduce myself. My name is Hossam Abudawood, and I am the owner of  Midnight   Hookah  at 403 Pleasant Valley Road in Groton. I am writing to ask you to veto the “BYOB Ordinance” because it will be very damaging to my business. I will probably need to close the business if the ordinance passes. Since we opened this winter, I have worked very hard to create a safe, fun place where people can get together and have a good time. Our customers include Electric Boat employees, many Navy sailors, casino workers, waiters, bartenders, local business owners, and at least one state trooper. I have been diligent in working with the town to get all proper permits and authorizations at every step of my business. While we had some tro...

Received  Monday, August 20th Hello, My name is Khalid Habbab, I reside at =========== in Groton and work at Electric Boat. I'm contacting you regarding the B.Y.O.B. ordinance.  I visit Midnight Hookah Lounge every weekend, which is a great place to hang out after bars/restaurants hours. With this ordinance I will not be able to visit the place with friends and co-workers and have to drive further away to other cities such as Hartford or Providence. Midnight Hookah Lounge is a convenient place since it is located in Groton, so I would urge not to pass this ordinance. Thank you for understanding. 

Received  Wednesday, August 15th Good Evening, My name is Ahmad Faraj and I have been a Groton resident for the past four years. After long weeks at work i always look forward to going to the Midnight Hookah Lounge on the weekends. The lounge has been the go to place for me and my friends ever since its inception. The owner is respectful and the security guards make sure no problems occur. Moreover, this is one of the only late night spots in Groton. I believe it would be unfair if the new B.Y.O.B  ordinance hindered the lounge's growing business. I hope that the ordinance can be vetoed by the Representatives at the town meeting to help this business stay afloat Thank you, Ahmad

As we have discussed elsewhere, the BYOB ordinance will force Midnight Hookah to close or move to another location. Obviously that is quite a negative impact on the patrons of this establishment, but there is a fairly dramatic downstream economic effect if this happens. Roughly how much money Groton's economy gains on an annual basis in secondary economic activity from Midnight Hookah. If Midnight Hookah is forced to close or move, then the people who are going there will instead go to New London or Norwich, taking their money with them. We estimate that the economic impact could be over half a million dollars per year if this were to happen. Sounds like a lot, doesn't it? Let's look at the numbers. Where do people go when they leave Midnight Hookah. According to the information we have been able to gather, most people who leave will stop and spend money somewhere else before going home. That spending is mostly right here in the Groton economy. Approximatel...

Many people are not concerned about this ordinance because they are only thinking of a particular type of business: like a restaurant that allows you to bring wine in. But this ordinance affects much, much more than just restaurants. Who does it apply to: any business facility, such as a dance hall, club, restaurant, lounge, meeting room or association , not licensed by the State of Connecticut Liquor Control Division "Dance hall, club, restaurant, lounge" is what one would expect this apply to. A restaurant that lets you bring in wine. An after hours lounge. Etc. But then we have "meeting room or association." These terms are so broad that they expand the reach of this ordinance is almost any space that is not residential or licensed for alcohol distribution. And what happens if you violate any portion of this? Any person violating any provision of this section shall be subject to a fine of $250.00.  What does that mean in real life? First, it is imp...

In response to his letter of August 6th , Councilor Obrey asked if it was fair to businesses that paid for liquor licenses that BYOB businesses could be open later. Below is Rep. Whitehouse's response. Thank you for that question. I can see how that might seem like a concern because both involve being a place to drink, but the economics of the market actually do not show that bar consumption and BYOB activity are competitive activities. The two spaces serve different purposes. But let us assume that they are competitive and that bars do feel they are losing business to BYOB establishments. This ordinance would do nothing to address that concern as it is currently structured, and creating a curfew that is 2 hours  before  the bar curfew does not seem even to me. Furthermore, the facilities which are licensed are those where one acquires alcohol: bars, restaurants, liquor stores, etc. To purchase the B which one BYO's they have to go to a licensed liquor store (or bre...

On Monday, August 6th, 4th District RTM Representative Michael Whitehouse transmitted this letter to the Town Council. In summary, these are the reasons why, in my opinion, this the ordinance is flawed, and I would very much like to hear your feedback. Overly Broad and Vague The ordinance is so broad and so vague that anyone drinking anywhere other than a private residence could be ticketed by the police. This includes everything from a wedding reception or holiday party that runs late to an election party at HQ. It could also affect various events. Police Discretion is Bad Legislation People should know at any given moment if they are inside of our outside of the law. I have heard the phrase "police discretion" many times. We have a great police department, but a law abiding citizen should obey the law with or without the police, so a midnight drinking curfew means midnight for them. Sometimes police discretion is necessary because of the complexity of re...

The following people speak on behalf of Midnight Hookah Donald Williams at 15:58 Hassam Abudawood at 21:32 Deval Lachman at 22:18 Khaled Habab at 24:08 Timothy Bresnan at 25:02 Portia Bordelon (RTM) 30:11 Town Council discussion and vote on ordinance 52:17

Although the Town Council voted 7-0 to pass the ordinance, it can still be vetoed by the Representative Town Meeting (RTM) . They are having their next meeting on September 12th at 7:30 PM at the Groton Senior Center. You can change the world with this. A 2/3 vote is required to veto the ordinance, meaning about 20-25 votes. If you are a Groton resident, there are three important ways you can help: contact your representative, speak at the meeting, and tell your friends! If you are not a Groton resident, you can share this with every Groton resident you know and encourage them to help. Contact Your Representatives If you live in Groton, you live in one of 7 districts. Take a look at this map and find your district . Next, go to the RTM Roster  and find the contact information for your representatives. Additionally, prior to being heard at the RTM, it will be heard by the Community & Development Services Committee, whose members are listed on the town web site ....

The following notice was issued to all members of the Representative Town Meeting (RTM). Notice of Passage ADOPTION OF AN ORDINANCE TO ESTABLISH HOURS OF OPERATION FOR BOP ESTABLISHMENTS Ordinance #289 was adopted by the Groton Town Council on August 7, 2018. BE IT ORDAINED BY THE TOWN COUNCIL OF THE TOWN OF GROTON: 1. Findings . In recognition of the growing practice of allowing patrons to bring alcoholic beverages to restaurants, clubs, meeting spaces, lounges and the like in the Town of Groton which establishments are not otherwise licensed by the State of Connecticut Liquor Control Division; the Town seeks to preserve and promote the health, safety, welfare, and quality of life of its residents by defining, clarifying and regulating this practice at such establishments. 2. Purpose . The purpose of this ordinance is to regulate the practice of allowing patrons to bring their own alcohol to commercial establishments within the Town. 3. Definitions . Alcoholic...