After Stroll Booze Violation, Bar Yoshi Facing Potential Suspension Of Liquor License

Popular sushi restaurant Bar Yoshi will undergo changes of ownership and management after liquor law violations during last year’s Nantucket Christmas Stroll event, the restaurant’s attorney told the Select Board Monday. As a result of the violations, the restaurant now has a potential suspension hanging over its head as the summer season approaches: any complaints could lead the Select Board to revoke its alcohol permit for next year’s Stroll, a potentially major loss of revenue.

According to licensing administrator Amy Baxter, Bar Yoshi was serving alcohol in open containers on the wharf during Christmas Stroll, outside of its designated permit area.

“Bar Yoshi, next to their licensed premises, in an area on Old South Wharf, were operating a mobile bar using their catering van,” Baxter told the Select Board on Monday during a hearing on the violation. “The bar service was not in a defined space at all. It was, as you can see in the photos, just parked there with a line, and the service area was not actively supervised by any staff members.”

They also allegedly allowed customers to take the alcohol off-site with no supervision.

“Folks bought alcohol and walked around, sat on the benches elsewhere. I saw it going out to the street. There was absolutely nothing or no one stopping them from leaving the area with alcohol,” Baxter said. “Essentially, the alcohol was sold and served without any license. It's as if someone drove up and opened a bar. The alcohol was served in open containers. Customers were allowed to leave the area with an open container, and open containers were witnessed throughout the Old South Wharf retail area and adjacent public streets.”

Baxter laid the blame squarely on manager and co-owner Terrance Noyes, and emphasized that the restaurant has been the subject of several complaints in recent years.

“There's a long history here of issues that have existed with this licensee and manager. It was clear that there was no one giving the operating staff the proper direction for this type of activity,” she said. “The failure was definitely at the manager level…this has been a location that has been a challenge.”

Bar Yoshi attorney Jesse Bell said that Noyes will be removed as manager and that a request to change both the licensed management and owner of record will come before the Select Board next month. Bar Yoshi also plans to improve staff training and management oversight. Co-owners Marc Knight and Robert Bolduc attended the Select Board’s meeting, and Knight spoke briefly to agree with Bell’s comments to the board. Noyes, who appears to be the odd man out, did not attend.

Noyes declined to comment when reached by the Current.

There was some discussion of a harsher penalty for Bar Yoshi, but the Select Board ultimately agreed that the threat of a suspension was enough.

“My guess is this has come to a head, and they know and will be fine now,” Select Board vice chair Matt Fee said.

“We're not letting them off the hook in any way,” Baxter said.