Li's Kitchen, a restaurant in York's WeCo District with a history described by the state Liquor Control Board as "incredibly troubling," closed last week in the wake of the suspension of its liquor license.

Owner Zhen Ting Li sought renewal of the license last year. The PLCB denied that in December, citing a pattern of criminal and violent behavior by customers and an employee. Li appealed that decision in the Pennsylvania Court of Common Pleas, but that appeal was denied on July 11.

In denying the renewal, the PLCB cited a series of incidents at Li’s from March 2014 to December 2016 and a failure by Li’s management to adequately respond to them, according to PLCB documents.

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The incidents include several charges of public drunkenness and drug possession. Two of the more substantial incidents include:

A July 2014 stabbing outside of the restaurant that stemmed from a fight between two patrons inside of the restaurant.

A February 2015 incident in which a confidential informant purchased heroin from a security guard at Li’s Kitchen. The guard was arrested and found in possession of 50 baggies of heroin, 22 baggies of powdered cocaine, a pack of Suboxone and more than $1,100 in cash.

Li twice met with York City Police about the incidents. After the stabbing, Li was advised to hire security – specifically police – to perform inside security work, but Li did not hire a police detail for the security because it was “too expensive,” documents state.

Li told the board he tried to prevent trouble:

Li said he hired two people to perform security duties, although they were also hired to do odd jobs at the establishment.

Signage was posted inside and outside of the restaurant to prevent illegal activities.

Surveillance cameras were installed inside and outside of the restaurant. The footage could be viewed from Li’s cell phone or on a computer.

Li obtained photographs of criminals from York City Police and would not allow those criminals to enter the establishment.

Li raised the price of beer so that patrons would drink less.

Patrons were served only one 16-ounce can of beer at a time and a maximum of four 16-ounce cans per visit.

Television, music and games were removed from the restaurant at the end of 2015 or beginning of 2016 so that patrons would not remain on premises for long.

Still, trouble continued in and around the store and the board believed that more could have been done to prevent that. Specifically, the board said, after the 2014 stabbing a metal detector should have been installed inside the restaurant.

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In its denial of the license renewal, the board wrote, “The Board finds it incredibly troubling that such a serious array of six incidents took place in less than a five-month period … These incidents display a pattern of (Li’s Kitchen) and its employees failing to take any action during the incidents, especially given that during most of the incidents (Li’s Kitchen) was open for business.”

Currently, Li’s Kitchen is not allowed to sell alcohol. Li could file another appeal within 30 days of the ruling, PLCB spokeswoman Elizabeth Brassell said. If he doesn’t, the license will cease to exist and cannot be sold or transferred, Brassell said.

Li’s Kitchen has been closed for the last week. Guang Li, who owns First Majestic on Roosevelt Avenue and whose family owns Li’s Kitchen, said he didn’t know anything about the liquor license and said his father would be the one to contact. Zhen Ting Li could not be reached for comment.

The owners bought the restaurant when it was the Majestic Restaurant in 2010, a month before it closed, according to a 2011 York Daily Record article. The owners "basically re-built the building," a York City Department of Fire and Rescue official said at the time.

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In 2015, neighbors brought complaints about Li’s to York’s city council.

“It’s promoted as a restaurant, but it’s really a liquor store, said Joanne Shannon, owner of a nearby bed and breakfast. “They sell more alcohol than they do food.”

Guang Li, a manager at the restaurant, told the York Daily Record that the issues weren’t the restaurant’s fault.

“The neighborhood has problems,” Guang Li said at the time. “It’s not just my restaurant… We are the victim, too. We don’t want those people in our restaurant, but they keep coming here.”

He added, “the neighbors, what they see outside isn’t always our customers. People living around here are causing the problems. We are doing everything legally.”

York Daily Record reporter Gordon Rago contributed to this report.

Anthony J. Machcinski is the food reporter for the York Daily Record. Follow him on Facebook, @ChinskiTweets on Twitter or email him at amachcinski@ydr.com.