HARTFORD – Today, Consumer Protection Deputy Commissioner Maureen Magnan signed a summary suspension of the liquor permit for Top Quality Vibez Bar and Grill (LCA.8882), located at 501 Boston Post Road in Orange.
This suspension is the result of a referral to the DCP Liquor Control Division from the Orange Police Department on May 1.
On February 7 and April 27, 2025, Vibez was the scene of a shooting and fights that endangered public health and safety, and in each incident, management and employees actively took steps to cover up the disturbances and obstruct police investigations.
In a letter to DCP, dated May 1, 2025, Orange Police Chief Robert J. Gagne renewed a previous request to suspend the license for Vibez, following the discovery of new information related to the February 7 shooting, as well as several incidents that have occurred at Vibez in the months since February.
Chief Gagne wrote:
“The owner and management of Top Quality Vibez denied any knowledge of a shooting or fight that night, which we were able to demonstrate was not the truth … Witness information revealed that allegedly the male patron won the physical fight and attempted to leave the premises when he was shot multiple times by one of the security guards. Furthermore, allegedly the bar's management cleaned up the scene and devised a conspiratorial plan to protect the shooter from being discovered or prosecuted.”
Upon revisiting the case with new information from the police investigation, DCP’s Liquor Control Division moved to suspend the license immediately, noting that the “premises is operated in a reckless and indifferent manner, with disregard to the safety of its patrons and surrounding community.”
“It is a privilege, not a right, to hold a liquor license in our state, and with that privilege comes the responsibility to protect the health and safety of patrons, staff, neighbors and the general public, and to participate in good faith in any investigation into incidents that impact premises safety,” said Deputy Commissioner Maureen Magnan. “A shooting inside a premises is one of the gravest offenses and by itself a singular significant event that demonstrates an immediate or imminent threat to public health and safety. That the shooting was perpetuated by an employee or agent of the premises, and that premises management made efforts to obscure evidence, protect the perpetrator, and hinder police investigation further demonstrates their recklessness. Thank you to the Orange Police Department for their diligence in pursuing this investigation and for renewing their request for a suspension when new information was discovered.”
The premise license is immediately suspended, and the establishment is closed until further notice. The permit was first issued by DCP on April 9, 2024, and has been renewed once with the current permit set to expire on April 8, 2026. A copy of the letter from Orange Police Chief Robert J. Gagne, the suspension placard, and summary suspension order are attached.
Those with concerns about a liquor permit holder in the State of Connecticut may contact DCP’s Liquor Control Division at (860) 713-6210, or by emailing dcp.liquorcontrol@ct.gov.