Two superblock bars shut down by Myrtle Beach

Two bars on the superblock have had their business licenses revoked after a shooting that rocked that area last month.

Natalia’s Bar and Grill and Pure Ultra Club were both sent notices from Myrtle Beach on Nov. 28 that their businesses licenses were revoked, making operation of both businesses illegal.

On Nov. 5, five people were shot and injured inside Pure Ultra. Since then, the city has introduced multiple regulations in the same neighborhood to curb what officials call gang activity. Those regulations include blocking parking there from 2 a.m. to 6 a.m. or forcing businesses to close at 2 a.m. Businesses there say they make the majority of their money after 2 a.m., when bars at Broadway at the Beach tend to close.

Now, Pure Ultra and Natalia’s are both legally required to close. Letters sent to both businesses cite recent shootings as reasons for the closures.

Natalie Litsey, the owner of Natalia’s, said she’s frustrated by the decision and plans to appeal it.

“I’m upset with all the false accusations that they’re trying to throw at me,” Litsey said. “I’m gonna fight it, because there’s no truth to what they’re saying the bar is associated with.”

The letter sent to Litsey from the city says the business has become a nuisance, citing a shooting that occurred there on July 21. The letter said Litsey failed to properly revise and file a safety plan with the city after that shooting and alleges her staff do not call police quickly enough when issues arise in the area.

Litsey said she did revise her safety plan and hired South Carolina Law Enforcement certified security for the club after. She also said her bar is being unfairly pinned for events that happen just outside of it, such as drug activity in the back parking lot or a shooting in a nearby alley on Oct. 22.

Litsey said if, for example, someone is dealing drugs outside the bar, “okay, well, arrest him. I have nothing against the police doing their job.”

Hector Melendez, the owner of Pure Ultra, could not be reached by phone Wednesday. He and Litsey each have 15 days to file an appeal of the city’s decision.

John Krajc, head of that neighborhood’s Five Points Business Association, said Wednesday that “The city has laws to handle businesses that are deemed to cause issues, and I would expect they would enforce those laws in a just and fair manner.”

Natalia’s is a member business of Five Points. Krajc said his organization did not have a specific position on that bar’s closing, because the board had not yet convened to discuss the matter.

This story was originally published December 7, 2016 at 4:56 PM with the headline "Two superblock bars shut down by Myrtle Beach."