Troubled Long Beach bar closed by state officials opens new location just 10 minutes away
A Long Beach bar has been shut down after an investigation discovered illegal drugs were being sold inside, but the name of the bar — Bottoms Up — lives on in another location and with the same owner.
The bar's North Long Beach location, along Artesia Boulevard, was slapped with signs of suspension on its door.
The state Alcoholic Beverage Control revoked the bar's liquor license after an undercover investigation found a security guard inside the business dealing drugs.
"Cocaine, ecstasy and oxycodeine were sold at the location and that's against the law," said John Carr, with Alcoholic Beverage Control.
The 26-year-old security guard, Justin Barton of Los Angeles, was arrested.
The state then set up another deal, of sorts, with the bar owner. In order to avoid an administrative hearing with a judge, the business had to be taken out of town.
The owner, Suzanne Blevins, then slapped the Bottoms Up name on another bar she owned in Bellflower, less than 10 minutes away from the original location. Though it was under a different name, the Bellflower location has been in business since 2016.
CBSLA also discovered that Blevins had a previous penalty at the Bellflower location for serving alcohol to a minor.
Inside, a woman who would not confirm if she was the owner, said, "I'm not happy with the situation," as she stood behind the bar.
The Long Beach Police Department was also not happy, but with the original Bottoms Up bar, releasing a statement that said in part, "...a number of incidents have occurred at that location, which resulted in harm to our community."
CBSLA learned that LBPD was called to the bar on several occasions to handle public intoxication, assaults and noise complaints.
After a customer from the Long Beach Bottoms Up crashed a car into a nearby apartment in March, killing a father and his young daughter, many in the community complained about the bar and wanted it closed.
"This did not have to happen," Long Beach Police Chief Wally Hebeish said of that tragic incident.
The state was unable to confirm if the bar sold too many drinks to that customer, but was able to shut down the Long Beach Bottoms Up once the investigation revealed drugs were being sold there.
