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LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WAVE) - After months of investigations and complaints, a Louisville bar on Bardstown Road announced its closure after four years in business. Afrokanza Lounge posted to their social media, saying they are closed “effective immediately.”

“It is with a heavy heart that we announce the closure of Afrokanza Lounge effective immediately. After 4 years of serving the community, we have made the difficult decision to close our doors. We want to extend our deepest gratitude to all of our loyal customers, dedicated employees, and supportive partners who have been with us throughout this journey. Your patronage and trust have meant the world to us. We want to sincerely thank everyone who supported us, we wish you all the best in the future.”

Back in June, both Afrokanza Lounge and Café 360 received violation notices from the city seeking to ban their 2 a.m. liquor licenses for repeated violations, including inadequate security, allowing people in with guns and serving after hours.

This came after months-long investigations. Louisville Alcoholic Beverage Control said they had substantiated complaints and other violations made against Afrokanza Lounge and Café 360. Because of these claims, Metro ABC officials said they referred the cases to Code Enforcement to ensure both establishments comply with local regulations.

Chris Whigham’s caught several of incidents on his Ring camera.

“It’s it’s a sigh of relief,” Chris said. “I think it’s definitely gonna be a little quieter, hopefully some less violence.”

Chris has lived on the block for about seven years and says things started when Afrokanza Lounge moved in.

“The gunshots started. Just overall violence, fistfights right out here in front of the door,” he described. “It just, it was a different neighborhood after that.”

Whigam says there were no problems at Cafe360 until Afrokanza Lounge opened.

“I really think, I’m not just the only one, but I really think Cafe360 got a really bad rap over this,” Chris said.

The night disturbances also proved to be a daytime problem for business in the area. Against the Grain General Manager Luke Rondot says sales have been down during the violence.

“We’ve definitely lost some of our, some of our local regulars,” Rondot said. “[They] didn’t want to deal with some of that because, you know, it’s scary.”

And though some customers have stopped coming in, local authorities stepped up their presence.

“We’ve had Department of Public Works come over and you know, inspect our licenses a little more frequently,” Rondot said. “One actually came in here today [Monday] to make sure that we had all our codes and everything.”

Codes and Regulations Director Richard Price says the department’s approach is an attempt to stop these types of incidents across the city.

“We are going to be aggressive,” Price said. “We are going to be aggressive with the property maintenance code, with the nuisance ordinance, and we want to make sure that businesses comply with that.”

He insists their efforts are to protect the community’s interests.

“Our presence is not here to say ‘You can’t own a business,’” Price said. “Our presence is here to say that you got to do it safely and not to become a nuisance.”

“Our department is committed to compliance across Metro and will continue working with the Louisville Metro Police Department, Alcoholic Beverage Control, and others to ensure all Louisville businesses prioritize community safety,” Richard Price, Director of Codes & Regulations said. “We want business owners to know that we will not tolerate violations and are dedicated to maintaining the highest standards of health, safety, and well-being in our community.”

In July 2023, three people were shot outside the Afrokanza Lounge in the 1500 block of Bardstown Road. Ricky Kemp, 31, died. Dozens of videos of moments before the shooting were sent to WAVE Troubleshooters.

Councilman Ben Reno-Weber issued the following statement on Monday in response to Afrokanza Lounge’s closure:

“We are committed to maintaining a safe and thriving environment for all businesses and patrons in District 8. While I value our local businesses and am dedicated to supporting them, it should not come at the detriment of the residents who live here.

The announcement from Afrokanza emphasizes the importance of compliance with our city’s regulations. Ongoing and repeated violations have left the city with no choice but to enforce these regulations to ensure the safety and well-being of our residents.

I would like to express my gratitude for the hard work of ABC and Codes & Regulations in upholding Metro ordinances. We remain committed to fostering a business-friendly environment while ensuring that all establishments adhere to the necessary codes and regulations designed to protect the citizens of Louisville.”

Alcohol Beverage Control says they recognize the Lounge’s effort to address compliance issues and be a responsible neighbor to the community. They said a pre-hearing conference to further address concerns will be held on August 6.

“Our priority remains the safety and well-being of the public.”