Houston-area bars among 6 to have licenses suspended

Six more bars, the majority of them in the Houston area, have had their licenses suspended by the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission after the businesses violated Gov. Greg Abbott's order over the weekend.

Abbott issued an order that bars and similar businesses that receive more than 51% of their gross revenue from alcoholic beverage sales would be ordered to close effective at noon on June 26.
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The mandate came as COVID-19 cases rise across the state.

The six bars who violated the order are:

• Jailhouse Saloon located at 310 Preston Avenue, Spring, Texas

• Stetson's Night Life located at 19304 Highway 59, Humble, Texas

• Down on Main Street located at 4911 N Main Street, Baytown, Texas

• This Bar located at 21411 Farm-to-Market 2100, Crosby, Texas

• Squeezes located at 11325 Old Voth Road, Beaumont, Texas

• Lazy H, located at 3905 N Main Street, Liberty, Texas

Since the order, multiple establishments have faced consequences, including having their liquor license suspended.



Days after the directive, video showed people standing close together, violating social distancing rules and not wearing masks at Spire Nightclub in downtown Houston.
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Spire's owner Zach Truesdell said he and his partners accepted the TABC's decision to suspend their license.


"We want to make it clear we're not here to fight the system," Truesdell said he told the commission. "If you tell us we cannot be open, we will not be open until you say we can be."

Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner also created a 'Wall of Shame' showing the businesses who violated Abbott's order. Along with Spire, Pour Behavior on Travis and Prospect Park on Fountainview were violators.

WATCH: Mayor Turner announces 3 businesses on 'wall of shame' after ignoring shutdown order

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According to its website, TABC has the authority to suspend any license that poses a threat to the public welfare.

The first infraction will result in up to a 30-day license suspension, and the second will result in up to a 60-day suspension.



To see the guidelines and learn more about Gov. Abbott's efforts to reopen Texas, visit open.texas.gov.



The video above is from a previous report.