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No more boogieing at Tiki Bob's Cantina

By Kristopher Califano
Arizona Daily Wildcat
Wednesday September 25, 2002

Clubgoers heading for the dance floor at Tiki Bob's Cantina will have to find another place to get their groove on.

The popular UA hangout and Tucson nightclub closed Sept. 16 after failing to renew its temporary liquor permit.

"We are temporarily closed for remodeling. Thanks for all your good times and we look forward to seeing you in the future," says a voice on the Tiki Bob's answering machine.

But the club has held off on applying for another liquor license that would allow them to reopen as a bar.

When the club tried to apply for a more permanent liquor license, city Councilman Fred Ronstadt's office raised some concerns.

The club had a lot of problems, including minor violence, overconsumption and routine liquor violations, said Michael Guymon, an aide to council member Ronstadt.

"We worked with them pretty heavily and the police had major concerns. It essentially had to do with over-serving and underage violations," Guymon said.

Randy Nations, Tiki Bob's representative in obtaining a liquor license, thought Tucson police were opposed to the club opening in the same location where Metro nightclub used to be.

The local media often reported crime problems when Metro was open in the same location.

Tucson police were not immediately available for comment yesterday.

Ronstadt gave the club several weeks to iron-out any problems it was having. He had planned to deny or recommend their application for the pending liquor license based on the bar's ability to clean up its act, Guymon said.

"We really don't have any problems ÷ no guns, knives or major problems with fights," said Brian McCleskey, a Tiki Bob's manager.

Tiki Bob's, which was still using a temporary liquor license, withdrew its renewal application when the state liquor board threatened an investigation concerning the accuracy and honesty of the business' liquor-license application.

McCleskey said the bar's liquor policies, employee training and handbook were key to the bar's successful "party atmosphere."

Lauren Heft, a 20-year-old UA student and cocktail waitress at Tiki Bob's, said management never made it clear the club was closing until the week before it shut down.

Management at Tiki Bob's told her that the club would reopen, perhaps under a new name, within 30 days, Heft said. The managers told Heft that she could have her job back when the bar reopened, she said.

A spokesman for the Arizona Department of Liquor did not elaborate on concerns with suspected inaccuracies on the license application.

"Anything misleading on an Arizona liquor application is something we take very seriously and with a strict approach," said Lt. Jesus Altamirano, a spokesman with the Arizona Department of Liquor. "There were some ethical and honesty questions."

The club, at 296 N. Stone Ave. opened March 16 after getting a temporary liquor permit on Jan. 21.

Melissa McGee, a UA health educator with Campus Health Service, never went to Tiki Bob's, and isn't disappointed about the bar's closure.

"Drink specials, especially like those at Tiki Bob's, are our concern because they promote over-consumption," McGee said.

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