Brick and Mortar Fined for Operating like a Nightclub

A popular restaurant is on a 30-month probation for operating like a nightclub, officials said.

Earlier this month, the owners of Brick and Mortar pleaded no contest to 14 misdemeanor counts of violating city permit laws and will pay roughly $7,000 in restitution to the city, not including thousands more in court fines.

Located on the city’s bustling Main Street, Brick and Mortar is known not just as a restaurant, but also as a spot to throw a few back – sans dinner.

But that’s not allowed if you don’t have the proper permits. The restaurant recently learned the hard way. After months of refusing to comply with city citations and mounting pressure from nearby neighbors who were angered over drunks spilling out of the eatery, the Santa Monica City Attorney’s office prosecuted the establishment.

For the next two and a half years, the restaurant has to post a sign that says it serves alcohol only with food service and is required to check IDs, according to the plea agreement.

Daniel Salerno, who oversees the police department’s vice unit, was happy with the result, saying that such a violation creates a public nuisance in the community.