CINCINNATI — The City of Cincinnati and Cincinnati Board of Health have filed a lawsuit against a Clifton hookah bar we've covered repeatedly, as neighbors complain of late-night parties, illegal alcohol sales and the potential violence centered around the business.
The lawsuit doesn't specifically address the complaints from neighbors. Instead, the lawsuit claims the Bohemian Hookah Cafe repeatedly sold tobacco to someone under the age of 21 and repeatedly violated the Ohio Smoke Free Workplace Act by allowing smoking indoors without obtaining an exemption from the Ohio Department of Health.
We talked with Ludlow Wines owner Mike Anagnostou right across the street from the bar after obtaining a copy of the lawsuit.
WATCH: We talk with people living in Clifton about the new hookah lounge lawsuit
He told us the timing was uncanny, as the Clifton Business Association was planning to file a nuisance lawsuit before we called.
"We were meeting with an attorney today for that very reason, and then I was contacted by you and told about the lawsuit," Anagnostou said. "So, the timing of it was really astounding to me."
Their plans to file suit are on hold as the city's lawsuit begins.
"We're leaving that option open," he said.
A city spokesperson told us the penalties from the suit are wide-ranging.
"If the defendant does not comply, the court can hold the defendant in contempt, which can include issuing a fine, ordering the premises closed and padlocked, or putting the defendant in jail," the spokesperson said.
We reported earlier this week about a new resolution at the board of health allowing for additional litigation against hookah bars across the city.
We went inside Bohemian Hookah Cafe on Wednesday afternoon and talked to a worker assembling a hookah who said he wasn't the right person to talk about the lawsuit. We left a copy of the suit with a person who took our contact information, with the promise that the owner would be able to get back with us.
We didn't hear back from them.
Clifton resident and city council candidate Aaron Weiner said he was encouraged by the lawsuit, but wanted to ensure proposals from some already on the city council for additional hookah bar regulations were passed.
One of the primary solutions floated has been a limit on how late hookah bars could remain open.
"I've said this before, I will say it again, nothing good happens after three in the morning, right? I don't care where you are," Weiner said.
YOU CAN READ THE LAWSUIT HERE:
Hookah Bar Lawsuit Against Bohemian Hookah Cafe by webeditors
