Formal complaint filed against Los Altos Taco Beach "Bellflower"

A formal complaint with the California ABC has been filed over sidewalk signs promoting alcohol sales

A formal complaint was filed at the Lakewood Field Office of the State of California Bureau of Alcohol Beverage Control (ABC) against the Los Altos Taco Beach aka Taco Beach Bellflower at 2099 Bellflower Blvd., Long Beach in the Los Altos Center Adjacent Neighborhood.

The formal complaint was filed after another incident were one of the businesses growing sidewalk signs (they now number 3) outside the Los Altos Taco Beach   was "advertising, promoting and indicating the availability of alcoholic beverage". 

There are 11 conditions for the Conditional License. The ABC restrictions were agreed to by Taco Beach Owner Kevan Vance, and by the over 45 License Protesters, as a condition of their withdrawal of the Protest of the Taco Beach application for a license and as conditions for granting Conditional License #47-52489677 to Taco Beach.

 Condition #3  of the license restrictions clearly states:

"3. There shall be no exterior advertising or sign of any kind or type, including advertising directed to the exterior from within, promoting or indicating the availability of alcoholic beverages."  

This is the second time a sign advertising  and promoting the availability of alcohol inside the License Type 47 (restaurant) establishment. 

The first documented case of exterior sign advertisement of alcoholic beverages at Taco Beach was on  Wednesday August 21st, 2013  On that day a chalkboard sign (that for a week had been used as an "OPEN" sign and to advertise "TACO TUESDAY") was converted to advertising alcohol available inside, complete with a drawing of a cocktail.

The advertising sign was placed on the busy corner of Bellflower Blvd. and Abbeyfield.  The writing on the sign is "HOLA Come in and try a Taco and Margarita". 

On September 11, another sign advertising Thursday night football also advertised the times of Taco Beach "Happy Hour" - starting at 3 pm in the afternoon.

When Taco Beach owner Kevan Vance first applied for a liquor license until  2 am every night, neighbors addressed their many concerns with 4th District Councilman Patrick O'Donnell. One concern was the fact that school children use Abbeyfield as the entrance  to the neighborhood.

Neighbors were concerned that the downtown Taco Beach "Happy Hour" times  in a residential neighborhood would be promoting cheap alcohol at the prime time when school children are returning home from school and passing the driveway and parking lot of Taco Beach at the busy corner of Abbeyfield and Bellflower.

With the Los Altos Taco Beach "restaurant" now promoting cheap alcohol right when school gets out - and only on school days- (their Happy Hour is only Monday-Friday) and right at the time students are returning home into their neighborhood and outside playing- the worst fears of the Los Altos Center Adjacent Neighborhoods have come to pass- a full liquor bar serving cheap drinks at the entrance to a residential neighborhood filled with school aged children.

After continuing to point out the numerous violations of the Long Beach CUP and the California ABC restrictions to the owner and manager, Los Altos Center Adjacent Neighborhood leaders are now willing to take their formal protests beyond the local office and go to the district offices of the ABC in Cerritos, or the state ABC headquarters to insure the safety and peaceful enjoyment of their residential neighborhood.   

The meaning of "Happy Hour" is well known, not ambiguous and directly relates to specials on alcohol:

Happy hour

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

"Cocktail hour" redirects here. For the Jo Stafford album, see Cocktail Hour (album).

Happy hour is a marketing term for a period of time in which a public venue, such as a bar, bowling alley, stadium, or state/county fair, offers discounts on alcoholic drinks, such as beer, wine, and cocktails.

Typically, it is in the late afternoon Monday through Thursday, usually taking place at some period between 4 PM and 8 PM. Many bars also have a late night happy hour for afternoon shift workers from 10 PM-1 AM. This promotion is intended to boost business on what may otherwise be a slow day. In most cases the "happy hour" lasts longer than a single hour.

The term also is commonly used to describe the gathering of work colleagues at a restaurant or bar after work hours, possibly outside the usual period.^{[citation needed]} or vice versa.

The specifics usually differ from country to country. In some European countries like the Netherlands, the price of an alcoholic drink is regulated, and selling them at half price is prohibited. During happy hour, a customer gets double the amount of drinks instead. In Italy, a customer often pays the same price or even more for the drink but is offered free fingerfoods. In the United States it typically entails finger foods and discounted drinks.

Happy hour can also be referred to as the period prior to dinner, where appetizers and drinks are served at one's home.