Neighbors: Boozy Brunches At Flatiron District Venue Are Out Of Hand
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Some East Side residents have been complaining about drunken revelers stumbling through their neighborhood in broad daylight, and they blame a bar's flat-rate, bottomless boozy brunches.
As CBS 2's John Slattery reported, weekend revelers have been caught on camera stumbling out of a bar at 28th Street and Madison Avenue in the Flatiron District with the sun shining bright overhead. They are seen throwing up on the sidewalk and being helped to walk.
Residents and workers in the area said enough is enough.
"Staggering, throwing up, laying down under actual wall right there," said area worker Tim Hurd, adding that he see such behavior every week.
A YouTube video shows a parade of patrons stumbling out of a venue called Pranna, at 79 Madison Ave.
The video exceeds 10 minutes in length, and begins with scenes of one woman being directed away from the bar from the bar by the bouncer, and later falling down on the sidewalk while another woman tries to help her up and into a waiting cab that ends up leaving without her. The woman's underwear are unintentionally displayed after she falls on the sidewalk.
Later scenes in the video appear to show another woman walking off and stumbling, and a third unable to walk on her own and then apparently vomiting. A man is seen apparently passed out on the sidewalk, and another man appears to urinate on the sidewalk.
"Pranna brunches lead to too many drunks in the neighborhood resulting in falling, peeing, vomiting and more," text displayed over the scenes said.
A neighbor said such behavior is a regular occurrence.
"You see people drink too much, and somebody has to carry them out," said neighbor Henry Horne.
The restaurant owner, Rajiv Sharma, told CBS 2's Slattery off camera that he is being targeted. While he said he plans to continue the bottomless drinks, he added, "We are the ones who stop serving intoxicated patrons, escort them out and send them home."
Manhattan Community Board 5 planned to hold a hearing Wednesday evening on Pranna's liquor renewal application. At the Community Board office, CBS 2 was told there had been complaints made.
The restaurant owner said he will listen to suggestions. Neighbors said action is warranted.
"You're endangering everyone out here, and it looks bad in the neighborhood out here," Hurt said.
One question the Community Board will take up is whether the bottomless brunch violates a state law that prohibits unlimited drink offerings.
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