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End of the Century Bar Looking for New Location in Forest Hills, Owners Say

By Ewa Kern-Jedrychowska | October 1, 2016 10:16am
 Tiki drinksat End of the Century Bar.
Tiki drinksat End of the Century Bar.
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DNAinfo/Ewa Kern-Jedrychowska

QUEENS — The owners of End of The Century Bar, known for its tiki drinks and cocktails, are looking for a new location after deciding to close the venue on Metropolitan Avenue this summer due to building problems.

The bar, named after the 1980 Ramones album, opened at 104-08 Metropolitan Ave., the former site of St. James bar, in November 2014.

End of The Century initially used the liquor license that was issued to the previous venue, the owners said, but when they tried to get it under their names, they were told by the State Liquor Authority to fix a number of building-related issues first, said Valentin Gonzalez, one of the owners.

According to the SLA's website, the bar's liquor license, which is currently “inactive,” is valid until Aug. 31, 2017.

The SLA did not respond to an email seeking comment.

According to the Department of Buildings' website, the agency received several complaints about the venue between 1999 and 2012, long before End of the Century Bar opened.

Some complaints were related to construction inside the building without permits, while others reported that the rear of the location was illegally converted into an enclosed area used for parties. 

In December 2008, the agency issued a partial vacate order to the rear yard after an inspector determined that the enclosed structure in the back was not in the approved plans, the DOB said.

The order still exists on the property, according to the DOB’s website.

In 2013, the agency also issued a $1,500 violation for failure to maintain the building in a safe, code-compliant manner. The violation has not been paid, according to the agency's website.

The bar owners said that after they realized the scope of the problems, they decided to close the venue in June.

“It would cost a lot of money and at least six to nine months construction to fix the issues,” Gonzalez said. “So it doesn’t make sense to open the bar in the same location.”

He also said that he and other owners are now looking for a new location to reopen the bar, also in Forest Hills, but closer to Austin Street and Queens Boulevard.

The bar would keep its name after reopening, said Gonzalez, who has also worked as a bartender at Dutch Kills Bar in Long Island City.

“That’s part of the neighborhood now,” he noted.