Popular Sacramento nightclub "Tiger" has liquor license temporarily suspended
SACRAMENTO – Tiger Restaurant & Lounge, a popular downtown nightclub, has had its liquor license temporarily suspended after an investigation by the California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control.
ABC says a security guard employed by Tiger was caught selling cocaine to an undercover agent.
The owner says they feel the attention on this has been an unfair attack.
"I think people should always just overall be careful," said Sacramento resident Wesley Kempf. "I think every club has at least one story of a bad apple or some experience. It's a club. It's very hard to control people."
The employee was arrested and booked on a felony charge last July. The suspension took effect last month.
The owner of Tiger said in a statement, "We took immediate action, terminating the individual, yet we are still being unfairly targeted."
The City of Sacramento and police have been working to make K Street safer, especially following the mass shooting in April 2022.
"It's definitely, over the few years, been up and down," said Billy Grandberry, bar manager of fellow downtown eatery Kodaiko. "Obviously, there was the shooting down in front of El Santo and that was huge, tragic."
Grandberry, whose restaurant is just two doors down from the nightclub, says they typically close before the party starts.
"I mean, it's crazy. They are kind of a staple down here for sure, especially for Sacramento nightlife. They bring a crowd," said Grandberry.
ABC says only the nightclub's liquor license was suspended, so they could technically be open right now to sell food. But the owner of Tiger says they're closed right now for renovations.
"This won't stop us. We are using this time to make Tiger even better, and on February 28th, we will be back – stronger, bolder, and more committed than ever to pushing Sacramento's culture forward," the statement from Tiger read.
ABC says, once the 30-day suspension is up, Tiger will be under a three-year revocation – like being on probation.
CBS News Sacramento reached out to the city and police department but didn't hear back as of this publishing.
