Feb. 24, 2022 10:55p
(WGTD)---Although the full city council will have the final say, Kenosha’s License and Permit Committee voted four to one Thursday night to recommend revocation of the liquor license of a popular Kenosha tavern.
Coins Sports Bar got in trouble for a series of seven incidents over a six-month period that ended with a New Year’s Day gun battle in a parking lot. One person was killed while three others were wounded. Coins maintains none of those involved in the fight had actually been in the bar that night.
The other incidents mostly involved large crowds of unruly patrons in tavern parking lots that were slow to disperse. Fights, drug and alcohol use, and uncooperative and combative attitudes were part of the scene.
Capping some ten hours of testimony over two nights, Assistant City Attorney Matt Knight said the bar deserved some type of punishment because the problems continued even after meetings were held with police.
In testimony before the vote, Coins co-owner Jerry Cousin said the bar prides itself in working with police, but that it’s impossible to control the behavior of every patron once they leave the establishment.
Coins’ security includes personnel who work primarily in-house, and a security company that’s in charge of patrolling the area adjacent to the bar.
Cousin said some of the bar’s problems were due to rapid growth. Since new ownership took over about two years ago, annual revenue had increased by 300%.
The full council will consider the committee’s recommendation on March 7th.
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