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Board fines Eden Restaurant over after‑hours operation, adult‑entertainment and hookah violations
Summary
The board found Eden Restaurant liable for multiple violations following undercover and task‑force inspections and imposed statutory and discretionary fines; commissioners warned owners that future breaches could lead to suspension or revocation.
The Baltimore City Board of Liquor License Commissioners found Eden Restaurant (also referenced as DNM Sports Bar / Eden Lounge) in violation of multiple licensing rules after undercover operations and task‑force inspections uncovered after‑hours activity and unauthorized uses of the premises.
Agent Taro of the Baltimore City Liquor Board described an undercover March 21 operation in which deputies entered the rear of the establishment and observed an unclothed person and patrons in a closed area; deputies ordered the premises closed and the fire marshal later cited multiple safety issues. Agent Taro also described a May 16 joint inspection that observed indoor smoking (hookah/charcoal), a rear bar area not authorized under the fire permit, and a bag of suspected marijuana on a table. Captain Dennis Dawson of the Fire Marshal's office told the board that the task force closed the premises for overcrowding, blocked egress and other safety problems.
Counsel for the licensee made an admission to the violations and presenters described steps taken to remediate. Licensee Jeremy Freeman and the new operators acknowledged operational lapses and promised corrective steps; neighborhood representative Kiana Hexto told the board residents had filed multiple 311 and 911 complaints and disputed earlier assertions that the association had been contacted before licensing actions.
The board found violations including the Maryland code provision prohibiting after‑hours activity, rule 4.152 regarding adult practices/obscenity, failure to renew and recordkeeping violations, and a sanitation/indoor‑smoking violation for hookah. The panel imposed mandatory and discretionary fines with 60 days to pay for several items and emphasized that further violations could prompt suspension or revocation. Commissioners urged the licensee to meet with board staff for training on the scope of the license and operational responsibilities.
"No hookah ever," one commissioner said repeatedly during the hearing, reiterating the board's zero‑tolerance posture on hookah inside licensed premises. The board also flagged the high cost of sprinkler repairs noted by the fire marshal as a practical impediment to reopening without landlord cooperation.
