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Two Toledo bars pushing back on Nuisance Bar Ordinance

Bar owners feel the city should do a better job working with them to solve the problem and hold customers accountable for their actions, not the owners.

TOLEDO, Ohio — Two Toledo bars are temporarily closed after being deemed a city nuisance. It's part of an effort to cleanup area neighborhoods.

However, the move is not sitting well with the bars owners who feel, they are being unfairly targeted.

"This place been here for about 50 years, it's a staple in this neighborhood," explained Kendrick King Jr, owner of Ken's Lounge.

Ken's Lounge has stood the test of time for several decades on Lagrange and Baker Street in north Toledo as it has survived the changing neighborhood around it.

"I'm from this area, I grew up over here, so I know first hand that its rough over here. But when I got into a position to buy a business, instead of running away, going to a different neighborhood, I wanted to stay here and help the neighborhood come up," said King.

But now the future of King's business is uncertain after it was forced to temporarily close. 

In a request for a permanent injunction, the city claims officers have been called to Ken's Lounge numerous times for criminal complaints ranging from assaults, thefts, noise violations and felonious assaults.

The most recent run-in for officers was on Nov. 4 when someone in the neighborhood fired shots near the bar, resulting in two people getting injured.

"Nobody in here knew anything happened because it didn't happen here, and it didn't happen with people from my bar," explained King.

A detective on the scene of the shooting confirmed that factual information with WTOL 11 which is why King believes the city's claims against his business are baseless.

He says he runs a clean bar and has even taken steps to deter unwanted crime by hiring security. 

"I've never had a problem on the inside of my business," explained King. 

King is not the only bar owner who has been impacted by the city's push to crackdown on nuisance businesses

The Royale Place on Airport Highway voluntarily shutdown last week after receiving a similar complaint from the city. 

"How are we labeled a nuisance, when we hired police to work there?  You cant expect us to control the whole neighborhood, we are responsible for our businesses," said Cullen Jones, a co-owner  of the Royale Place. 

Jones feels like the city is being unreasonable and is targeting the wrong bars.

Last month, city  council approved an ordinance aimed at leveling the playing field and holding businesses accountable through a point system in hopes to avoid deadly crime scenes at bars.

"This is a way for good businesses to excel, and for neighbors and neighborhood to have a piece of mind," said Tom Waniewski, Toledo City Council Member.

Bar owners feel the city should do a better job working with them to solve the problem and hold customers accountable for their actions, not the owners.

"We are going to fight, we are not going to go without a fight, hopefully Ken's will be back open very soon," said King.

On Monday, a judge decided to close King's bar for one year based on lack of security for the location due to multiple criminal occurrences.

In an effort to keep Toledo safe, Ken's Lounge at 1701 Lagrange has ... been ordered closed for one year. Thanks to the efforts of The City of Toledo CERT (Code Enforcement Response Team) and Ken's Lounge is prohibited from being used as a gathering place and cannot be open to the public.

Cullen Jones of the Royale Place said he is considering packing up and moving.

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