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Bayside’s Brews Brothers closed

Bayside’s Brews Brothers closed
By Nathan Duke

A popular Bell Boulevard bar was closed by the city last weekend after it was discovered the site was allegedly employing unlicensed security and selling alcohol to minors, according to a restraining order posted by the city Police Department on its door.

Brews Brothers, at 40-09 Bell Blvd. in Bayside, was shut down Friday by the NYPD after a restraining order was issued by the Queens Supreme Court.

Violations at the bar included unlicensed security, sale of alcohol to minors, unreasonable noise and sale of alcohol to intoxicated people, according to the restraining order.

The owner of Brews Brothers could not be reached for comment.

Neither a spokesman for the 111th Precinct nor Susan Seinfeld, district manager for Community Board 11, said they had received complaints about the bar.

Councilman Dan Halloran (R-Whitestone) said he believed the bar would eventually reopen.

“Nearly 75 percent of these are overturned when there is an allegation of underage drinking,” he said.

The councilman said the NYPD has a task force that investigates bars to determine whether they are violating laws involving underage drinking and security issues.

But it was unclear if or when the bar would reopen.

Jerry Iannece, chairman of Community Board 11, said the incident was not the first of its kind on Bell Boulevard.

“It’s problematic,” he said. “Kids are coming back from college now. They come in with fake IDs.”

The owners and managers of restaurants on the strip said they did not witness the city’s shuttering of the bar.

“I came into work Saturday morning and the signs were up,” said one manager who did not want to be named. “It’s pretty clear they were doing something wrong.”

Brews Brothers has an extensive beer and wine menu and features karaoke nights on the weekend.

Bell Boulevard is one of the hot spots for night life in northeast Queens, offering an array of bars, nightclubs and karaoke sites.

Reach reporter Nathan Duke by e-mail at nduke@cnglocal.com or by phone at 718-260-4566.