Store's liquor license suspended

0 Comments | Oakland Tribune, Feb 20, 2008 | by Cecily Burt

OAKLAND -- An East Oakland market appeared to have ceased operations Tuesday, the same day that the state Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control suspended its liquor license, citing alcohol sales to minors.

When ABC enforcement officers arrived at One Stop Market, 6001 MacArthur Blvd., on Tuesday morning, they found the doors locked and the merchandise largely cleaned out, said John Carr, a spokesman for the regulatory agency.

"I didn't see anything inside the store. Nothing in the coolers. Just a few things on the counter," Carr said. "The place was basically vacant .... Even the parking lot was locked up."

According to Carr, market owner Abdel Kader Ayesh had his liquor license suspended indefinitely after underaged decoys for the Oakland Police Department purchased alcohol at the store three times during the past 17 months.

The store previously was caught selling to minors in 2001, Carr said, and had its liquor license suspended for a short period each time.

Ayesh could not be reached for comment. But Carr said that after an undercover sting in November, the ABC worked out an agreement with Ayesh that allowed him to transfer his liquor license to someone else within 240 days -- or face revocation.

Ayesh is prohibited from transferring the license to a relative by blood or marriage, Carr said. The person who takes over will not be able to sell liquor from the same location, nor will anyone else for at least a year, Carr said.

Ayesh had the option of keeping the market open, selling groceries but no liquor, Carr said.

The new license holder must submit an application to the ABC, which will in turn notify the Oakland City Council, the Oakland Police Department and Oakland Planning Commission to give them time to notify the community and register any opposition, Carr said.

In 2004, One Stop Market received a "bad" grade in a report card issued for 359 off-sale liquor stores and mom-and-pop markets prepared by the Neighborhood Law Corps, a division of the Oakland City attorney's office. A number of factors went into grading the outlets as either good, bad or ugly, including complaints about selling to minors, excessive litter, and graffiti.

The city has also cracked down on a growing number of corner liquor stores that allow drinking, loitering and drug sales outside the premises -- activities that tend to attract crime and violence - - by revoking the stores' conditional-use permit.

In a prepared statement, Oakland police Chief Wayne Tucker said underaged drinking is contributing to the city's violence.

"The Oakland Police Department will continue to aggressively pursue those businesses that put Oakland's juveniles at risk," he said.

Contact Cecily Burt at cburt@bayareanewsgroup.com or 510-208- 6441.