No kitchen? No liquor, Palisades Park council says after changing BYO license

PALISADES PARK — Businesses that do not serve food will no longer be allowed to obtain a BYO license for alcohol in the borough. The change follows state guidelines and comes after a rash of nuisance reports, some involving underage drinking.

All "bring your own bottle" establishments in the borough must now be restaurants with kitchens. The council adopted the change in late December after several complaints from businesses that have bring-your-own-bottle licenses that follow state guidelines.

There are about 30 BYO licenses distributed in town, Borough Administrator Dave Lorenzo said. Of those, about 11 belong to businesses that do not comply with the new regulations.

The licenses will expire in June, and the businesses will have until then to comply with the change, or they will not be able to renew it, Lorenzo said.

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The change in rules was first discussed at an August council meeting after an underage drinking incident and fight was linked to a karaoke business.

There have been numerous complaints of underage drinking, alcohol sales and consumption before and after business hours, Lorenzo said.

"What it comes down to is a safety, health and welfare issue. It was a host of nuisances," Lorenzo said. "The governing body is taking the necessary steps to provide a better quality of life" and reducing the risk to residents and minors.

In North Jersey, the first Korean karaoke businesses opened in the late 1980s and early 1990s in Fort Lee and Palisades Park, and the numbers grew with the rise of the Korean population in the area.

More than half of Palisades Park's population of 20,000 are residents of Korean heritage.

Korean-style karaoke is also known as noraebang, which translates to "song room." The businesses offer patrons an opportunity to sing in a private room, instead of singing in front of strangers.

Kristie Cattafi is a local reporter for NorthJersey.com. For unlimited access to the most important news from your local community, please subscribe or activate your digital account today.

Email: cattafi@northjersey.com Twitter: @KristieCattafi