Hampton Council Revokes Chance's Restaurant Use Permit After Police Cite Repeated Violence and Security Failures

Hampton City Council voted unanimously Thursday night to revoke the use permit for Chance's Restaurant and Lounge, citing a pattern of violent incidents and failures to meet permit and Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) requirements.

Deputy Director of Community Development Steven Lynch told the council the restaurant had been approved for a “restaurant 3” use with live entertainment and on‑premises alcohol in March 2024 and opened in October 2024. Lynch reviewed permit conditions the city said were violated, including a requirement for adequate security staffing, reporting of criminal activity to the Hampton Police Division, ABC licensing and compliance, and window transparency.

Officer Zminkowski, consolidated enforcement officer for the Hampton Police Division, presented a chronology of highlighted incidents in 2025. He described an April 3 event in which shots were fired near the business and shell casings were found; a May 1 incident in which a patron was observed with a rifle in the business’s vicinity; a May 5 altercation that was upgraded to a shooting and resulted in a homicide; and a Sept. 20 mass‑panic incident in which two unrelated people fired shots into the air, causing crowds to take cover.

"In two of [the incidents], security did not notify us," Officer Zminkowski said, adding that security provided minimal or false information during the Sept. 20 response and that at least one security member blocked the front door and pointed a firearm at fleeing patrons.

Lynch also told the council that ABC had summarily suspended and later imposed conditions on the restaurant's license and that ABC revoked the permit holder’s license effective Oct. 1 for cited violations. City staff also cited notices of violation for indoor smoking (May 15) and for window treatments that impede visibility (May 6), and noted a pending corporate‑status issue with the State Corporation Commission.

After staff and police presentations, the council opened the public hearing; no members of the public had signed up to speak. A council member moved to revoke the use permit; another council member seconded. The clerk then called the roll. Councilman Bowman, Vice Mayor Brown, Councilwoman Campbell, Councilwoman Farabee, Councilwoman Harper, Councilwoman Mugler and Mayor Gray each voted “Aye.” The motion carried.

Staff told the council revocation applies to the existing permit holder and that a future tenant could seek a separate use permit for the site if they meet requirements. Staff and the planning commission had recommended revocation based on the pattern of incidents and the permit holder’s noncompliance.

The council's action followed staff presentations, police testimony and documentary evidence shown during the hearing. The record includes a minor inconsistency in permit numbering on the transcript: staff presentation referenced one permit number while the motion as read aloud cited a different number; council action on the record revokes the permit associated with Chance's Restaurant and Lounge.

Council did not take additional policy action during the meeting beyond the revocation vote; staff will carry out the formal steps required after revocation and the city manager or designee is authorized to execute related agreements as necessary.