Plagued by crime, an East Raleigh bar gets its alcohol license taken by the state
An East Raleigh cafe and lounge with a history of violent crime and frequent visits by police has had its alcohol license suspended by the N.C. Alcohol Law Enforcement Division.
Starbar on Trawick Road has averaged more than 100 police calls a year since obtaining its Alcohol Beverage Control permits in 2015, according to ALE, which announced the suspension late Friday.
The most recent incident, on Oct. 25, resulted in four men being shot and one dying from his wounds. That case is still being investigated by the Raleigh Police Department.
Other incidents include stabbings and shootings, including one in which seven cars in the parking lot were hit by bullets and another in which the driver of a passing car was hit.
“When businesses that sell alcoholic beverages routinely become scenes of violence, our special agents conduct investigations to determine if the business is suitable to operate as an ABC permitted outlet,” Bryan House, director of ALE, said in a press release Friday. “These types of investigations are a priority to ALE, as well as the safety of patrons who visit ABC permitted outlets.”
The bar, sometimes written as “Star Bar,” advertises as a “soul fusion cafe & lounge” on its storefront.
In July, The News & Observer reported that there had been 338 calls to 911 from Starbar at 1731 Trawick Road since January 2017, according to police records. Other establishments at the address include a tobacco shop, a grocery store, a church, a hair salon and a tattoo studio.
The 1700 block of Trawick Road has similarly been plagued by crime, with police records showing officers responded to several reports of assault and shots fired in the area dating back to 2014. Many of these assaults were aggravated, meaning they were made with knives or guns; on a child, person with a handicap or a government employee; or caused serious injury, The N&O reported.
