LOS ANGELES, CA – The Venice Whaler, a beachfront bar and restaurant that has operated in Venice since 1944, has temporarily stopped serving alcohol and is asking the community to support its staff, the business said.
The bar, at 10 Washington Blvd. near the Venice Fishing Pier, announced the pause Oct. 17 in a social media post. It said its burgers, pizza and “good vibes” were still available and that it remained open for food.
Owner Mike Dobson said the pause was caused by a technical error involving paperwork that was not submitted on time. He said the bar did not lose its liquor license and is not going out of business.
The state Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control and the California Department of Tax and Fee Administration declined to comment on the Whaler’s situation, both agencies told reporters Oct. 20.
Bar asks “Whaler family” for support
In its Oct. 17 post, the bar wrote, “Whaler family, we need you.” It followed with the message, “We’re temporarily not serving alcohol, but our famous burgers, pizza, and good vibes are still here!”
The post asked customers to visit the bar and support its staff while alcohol service is on hold. The business did not say in the post why alcohol was no longer being served.
The Venice location sits on Washington Boulevard near the Venice Fishing Pier. The bar has continued to operate as a food business during the pause.
Owner cites a technical error
Dobson explained the pause in a statement Oct. 18. He said the cause was a technical error involving paperwork that had not been submitted on time.
He also said the bar kept its liquor license. According to the owner, the Whaler is not closing.
A marketing representative for the bar described the problem as a hiccup in the system that would be resolved very shortly. The representative said ownership had fulfilled every obligation needed to correct it and that the bar hoped to have alcohol service back by the end of the week.
License record lists a suspension
According to initial reports, the state’s license record for the Whaler lists its alcohol license as suspended. The same record reportedly shows a Board of Equalization hold described as a “collections suspension,” which points to a tax matter.
The listing gives no reason for the suspension, according to those reports. The business has not described the issue as a tax matter, and the owner has attributed it to late paperwork.
The public can check a business’s license status through the ABC License Lookup service. It can be searched by license number, licensee name, business address or business name, and it also offers license reports by city, ZIP code, county, census tract or statewide.
How tax-related suspensions work
The state agency publishes a general explanation of how licenses are suspended over unpaid taxes. That page does not address the Venice Whaler or any other specific business.
According to the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control’s page on self-posting suspension notices, “Delinquent licensees will receive written notification from Headquarters Licensing Unit advising the licensee that the alcoholic beverage license for the business has been suspended for failure to pay taxes and/or penalties to BOE or FTB.”
The page also says suspension signs “must remain conspicuously posted on the license premises until advised by the Department to remove them.” It adds that failing to keep the notices properly posted “can result in further disciplinary proceedings leading to the suspension or revocation of the alcoholic beverage license.”
$3 pizza slices and discount vouchers
While alcohol service is paused, the Venice bar is offering $3 pizza slices and a $10 burger-and-fries combination. The business said the specials are meant to keep customers coming in.
The bar is also giving customers 50% discount vouchers that can be used once alcohol service resumes.
Santa Monica location continues full service
The Whaler’s sister location at 101 Broadway in Santa Monica remains open. That bar continues to serve both food and alcohol.
The Venice announcement did not say whether the pause affects any other business.
Return of alcohol service depends on the bar’s timeline
The bar’s stated goal is to restore alcohol service by the end of the week, according to its marketing representative. The bar has not announced a date on which service will resume.
The state alcohol and tax agencies have not publicly addressed the Whaler’s license status. The bar remains open for food and the Venice location continues to operate.
