"Tattoo party' a bad mix for bar

Lush Nightclub faces 20-day license suspension

A Tattoo Party promotional image posted online, shown in part above, touted a July 12, 2013, event at Lush Nightclub, which is the subject of review by the Jefferson City Liquor Control Board.
A Tattoo Party promotional image posted online, shown in part above, touted a July 12, 2013, event at Lush Nightclub, which is the subject of review by the Jefferson City Liquor Control Board.

A Jefferson City night club is facing a 20-day suspension of its liquor license after allegations of the bar allowing tattooing inside the club.

At the Liquor Control Board meeting Wednesday, Jefferson City Police officer Paul Gash said officers had heard rumors the Lush Nightclub, formerly known as Rumors, was going to have a tattoo artist and had seen a promotional flyer the club had distributed.

The Twitter page of a Lush Nightclub deejay featured a July 10 tweet with a picture of the flyer, which was retweeted on the club's Twitter account. It stated the club was hosting a "So Inky Tattoo Party" on July 12 with two tattoo artists in the building.

Officers arrived at the club shortly after midnight July 13 and, after entering the bar, noticed a subject making "a hasty retreat" toward an area at the back of the club cordoned off by a curtain. There, Gash said, the officers found a subject actively tattooing a female, who officers were unable to speak to.

"You could tell it was very surprising as we pulled back that curtain," Gash said.

A summons was issued to the tattoo artist and club manager for municipal court, Gash said.

City attorney Drew Hilpert said the club faces two violations: one because the city does not allow unlicensed tattooing and another because the city does not allow tattooing of people who are under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

"Tattooing at a bar is prohibited," Hilpert said.

Bill Betts, chairman of the Liquor Control Board, said he had concerns about punishing the club for the alcohol violation because customers may not have been drinking if they got tattoos.

Jason Turner, interim fire chief and board member, said the event was advertised as being in a bar and people likely were drinking. Turner made a motion to issue a 10-day suspension for each violation to be served consecutively.

The motion was approved 2-1, with Betts casting the only opposing vote. Betts said the club has had no prior violations to warrant a lengthy suspension.

The club has 10 days to appeal the board's decision once they've been notified. If there is no appeal, the suspension will go into effect Aug. 12, allowing the business to reopen Sept. 4.

According to the club's business license, the listed owner is Eun Mi Cho, who did not return a call for comment Wednesday. However, a message posted on the club's Facebook page on Wednesday night reads, "Thank you all for your concern about Lush Nightclub. We will be appealing the decision made by the Jefferson City Liquor Control Board. We stand firm in the business decisions we make and the safety of our patrons is our number one concern."

Click here to see the poster on Twitter