COLUMBUS, Ohio — A 37-year-old man was shot to death near the Doll House strip club off Karl Road on Sunday. A month earlier, Columbus City Council voted to reject the renewal of the club's liquor license because of prior crimes at or near the club.
A spokesperson for the Ohio Division of Liquor Control told 10TV: "If the city presents sufficient evidence, the Division will sustain its objection and reject the renewal application. The permit holder has the right to appeal that matter. If the Division overrules the city objection, the city will have the right of appeal. Appeals are heard by the Liquor Control Commission.”
The state says there are other avenues to accomplish the same thing, such as pursuing a temporary restraining order. According to the spokesperson, the city can also pursue a complaint for revocation directly with the commission.
That process does not involve the Ohio Division of Liquor Control. Additionally, area residents can also utilize local option election laws to cease alcohol beverage sales of all liquor permit businesses in the precinct,” the spokesperson said.
For the 2023-24 liquor renewal period, the City of Columbus has filed 12 objections and four have been resolved, according to the state.
Columbus City Attorney Zach Klein tells 10TV, “As City Attorney, I want businesses to succeed, but not at the expense of public safety. If a business finds its way to my desk due to violent crime or liquor or code violations, we keep every option on the table, from working with owners on long-term safety plans to holding them accountable by filing a case in Environmental Court or objecting to a liquor license renewal. To this point, Doll House ownership has been cooperative, but the City will not hesitate to take further appropriate legal action as needed to ensure our commitment to public safety.”
The operator of the Doll House told 10TV in September that he added 40 security cameras, a metal detector and armed security to help reduce crime.
It's unclear if the fatal shooting on Sunday at the strip club happened inside or outside the club.
In December 2022, Columbus City Council voted to object to liquor license renewals for the following businesses:
- Beechcroft Newsstand, 1935 E. Dublin Granville Rd
- Doll House, 1680 Karl Ct.
- Platform Lounge, 1058 Country Club Rd.
- Queen of Hearts (former Pelican Club), 5512 E. Livingston Ave.
- Speedway, 3304 E. Broad St.
- Mobile Mart, 2635 W. Broad St.
- Spotlight Lounge, 1662 W. Mound St.
- Julep, 1014 N. High St.
Liquor Control hasn’t scheduled any of the hearings yet for this latest batch of objections. They are currently processing the objections through their system and will begin scheduling them in the coming months.
