Omaha council votes to cancel Crush Ultra Lounge liquor license after months of police reports and neighbor complaints

The Omaha City Council voted 6-0 to cancel the Class C liquor license held by Throwback Empire LLC, which does business as Crush Ultra Lounge, following a multi-hour hearing that included testimony from police officers, neighborhood representatives and the bar’s owner.

Council members heard detailed police testimony and video evidence describing repeated fights, at least one shooting and other disturbances near 1402 Howard Street and adjacent streets in the Old Market/downtown area. Council members also heard testimony from neighbors and business groups who said problems linked to the club have persisted despite prior administrative actions and restrictions.

The decision followed a review of prior proceedings in which the Nebraska Liquor Control Commission had approved the bar’s license with conditions, subsequent police incident reports and on-site body-worn-camera footage. City attorneys told the council the evidence showed violations of city code and license conditions; the bar’s attorney argued the city was unfairly retrying matters already considered by the state commission and raised concerns about policing practices.

Why it matters: Council members said the escalation in the frequency and severity of incidents — including violent encounters outside the club — created a public-safety concern that justified revoking the license. Police and downtown business representatives said the establishment had become a focal point for late-night disturbances that required disproportionate policing resources.

What the council heard - Omaha Police Department officers described multiple nights of crowds, fights spilling into traffic lanes, use of crowd-control measures (including pepper-ball munitions) and at least one shooting and one stabbing in the vicinity of the club. Sergeant Daniel Rubin told the council officers now station cars near the club “to be proactive” because of repeated incidents. - Detective James Holtmeyer and undercover officers described at least one compliance check in which alcohol service after the required cut-off hours was alleged; a citation tied to after-hours service was among documents introduced into the record. - Holly Barrett, executive director of the Omaha Downtown Improvement District, and nearby property owner Dan Emanuel testified in opposition, citing litter, human waste, repeated tavern reports and a pattern of disturbances that they said hurt perceptions of safety and property leasing in the Old Market. - Owner Tony Pham and his counsel, attorney William Bianco, disputed many of the characterizations and introduced videos and security testimony they said showed the club’s staff attempting to manage incidents. Pham said he invested about $400,000 to renovate and rebrand the venue and that the business had tried to move toward more diversified programming. He acknowledged problems but asked the council for additional support and time to address them.

Votes at a glance - Motion: “Move to cancel the license” (mover/second not specified in the transcript) - Result: Motion passed, 6-0 - Roll call names recorded in transcript as voting yes: Hugg; Johnson; Melton; Roe; Begley; Mr. President - Outcome: Council approved cancellation of the Class C liquor license held by Throwback Empire LLC (doing business as Crush Ultra Lounge)

What the council ordered and next steps - Council action cancels the city’s authorization for the license-holder’s operation in the city. City staff and legal counsel said the cancellation followed the process outlined in Omaha Municipal Code provisions that govern license revocation. The city indicated prior years’ records, police reports and Nebraska Liquor Control Commission orders were considered in the council’s decision.

Reactions and context - Police: Officers said they allocate extra patrol and overtime for the riverfront/Old Market because several bars and late-night venues produce recurring incidents, but that the Crush location had an especially high frequency of calls and violent incidents in recent months. - Neighborhood and business groups: The Downtown Improvement District and an Old Market property owner urged revocation, saying the volume of complaints and incidents exceeded what private security and city resources could safely manage. - Licensee: Counsel for the licensee argued the club was being targeted by aggressive surveillance and enforcement, said some incident reports relied on assumptions, and asked the council to weigh the state liquor commission’s prior rulings and the bar’s ongoing efforts to change programming and operations.

Ending: The council’s cancellation of the license does not automatically dispose of any parallel or subsequent legal actions (such as civil claims or any state-level review). The City Law Department provided the council with the legal framework used for the hearing. City staff and police indicated they would implement the council’s order and follow up on administrative and enforcement steps required by city code and existing procedures.