Its last call for the popular Encore Hookah Bar & Bistro on Luckie Street in downtown Atlanta. The city reportedly put pressure on the spot after a series of violent incidents made local headlines, while a county judge labeled the property a “public nuisance”.
From The Atlanta Journal-Constitution:
In a complaint filed in March, the city of Atlanta alleged that Encore “attracts an influx of criminal activity” to the area and asked a judge to grant an injunction declaring the property a “public nuisance.” Over the weekend, the bar announced it was closing“.
Police responded to at least 171 calls at the location since 2020, including a February incident at the lounge where a staff security officer was shot and killed following an altercation with a lounge patron.
Prior to taking its website down, the embattled hot spot shared on Instagram that, “They can close our doors, but they can’t take our memories,” and complained that the “powers that be” were the reason the club was closing for good.
That’s no surprise. Atlanta mayor Andre Dickens, who took office in January, has promised to be aggressive in going after night spots that feature violence.
He doesn’t have much choice because the wealthy, heavily White Buckhead neighborhood has claimed Atlanta’s crime is the reason many in the upscale enclave want to form their own city, although Mayor Dickens has been working hard to keep Buckhead from dividing the city and siphoning away millions in tax revenue.
Meanwhile, the city hasn’t ruled out forcing more clubs to shutter and is rumored to be considering rolling back late-night hours for the city’s clubs.
