A Long Island bar got into hot water over the weekend after apparently allowing dozens of customers inside the establishment to drink beverages in violation of the state’s coronavirus shutdown.
Videos posted on social media showed scores of maskless people packed inside the Dublin Deck Tiki Bar and Grill in Patchogue on Friday night as music played.
“Everybody’s so thirsty, let’s go!” someone can be heard shouting in one of the clips, as a crowd of people knocks back beers at the bar.
“Finally back to normal!” a reveler yells.
Suffolk County police received multiple 911 calls on Friday night about the bar not complying with Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s “PAUSE” order, but said no summonses were issued, Newsday reported.
Reps for the bar apologized in a Facebook post on Saturday, saying they’ll stick to social-distancing rules moving forward. The Facebook page has since been deleted.
“We apologize to anyone who may have been offended by the videos that surfaced,” read the post, according to Newsday. “We assure you it was not intended and will not happen again.”
Co-owner Frank Mills claimed the bar allowed patrons inside during a “quick rainfall.” Most of them were boaters parked at the nearby marina who were ordering meals to go, he said.
“Everybody decided to run inside out of the rain and they overwhelmed us,” Mills told the outlet. “It was that simple. It has never happened before and it will never happen again.”
The crowds may have acted inappropriately because they were itching to socialize, Mills added.
“Everybody hunkered down. We did what we were supposed to do,” Mills said. “You can call it what you want but they’re chomping at the bit to go do something.”
At a press conference on Sunday, the governor’s top aide, Melissa DeRosa, blasted the customers’ actions as “stupid.”
“From what I understand, the photos show people were in this space and they weren’t wearing masks. That’s stupid. Stupid for you, it’s stupid for your surrounding patrons, it’s stupid for the bar,” DeRosa said.
DeRosa noted that the watering hole said it was just providing shelter from the rain, and that enforcement was up to Suffolk County cops.
“I take them at their word that that’s what happened, but moving forward they should be on notice, and again the enforcement is up to the locals,” she said.
Cuomo added: “It’s supposed to be curbside pickup, right? That doesn’t sound like curbside pickup.”
Suffolk Police Commissioner Geraldine Hart said that by the time cops responded to the bar, about 85 percent of the customers had cleared out.
Cops said they followed up with the establishment and other Suffolk County businesses throughout the weekend.
Dublin Deck didn’t immediately return a call from The Post on Sunday night.
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