Fuzions Bar & Grill liquor license pulled, but the show will go on owner says

On Feb. 15, 2018, the City of Monroe pulled the liquor license of Fuzions Bar and Grill in Monroe. Fuzions’ owner, Michael Brown, appealed the decision at a hearing in front of the City Council on March 13, but his request was denied, effectively preventing the bar from selling alcohol for the next two years.

“The revocation of the licenses has been upheld by the Mayor and Council. Licenses are only valid for the calendar year in which they are issued,” said Monroe City Administrator Logan Propes. “No person or entity may be granted an alcohol license if they have had any such license revoked within the prior two (2) years per City of Monroe Ordinance 6-8(e).”

Propes said the reason for the revocation was because Brown had not told the truth in his 2018 application.

“The Code Enforcement Officer revoked the licenses due to the discovery of untruthful information contained within the application of FRMV, Inc.  for its 2018 renewal alcohol licenses,” Propes said, explaining that the property at 806 North Broad Street is owned by Pay B Inc. “FRMV, Inc. appeared to have a leasehold interest in the property that it completely sold and assigned to Fuzions Monroe, LLC on December 16, 2016.”

But Brown says that is not true. The company has not been completely sold and assigned to anyone else at this point. He said he is still the owner.

“The truth is someone had an interest in buying, and paid me some money, but never fully fulfilled the agreement, so I never let them take over in any sort of way,” Brown said. “But obviously by the quick judgement of the council members because of partial facts from the city attorney picking thru and providing misleading information, I now have no alcohol license which was the only thing even keeping me open. They basically just took my kids’ college funds away.”

Brown said he went to the meeting thinking he had nothing to prove because he was handling his business the same as he has always done for the past nine years.

However, during those nine years, police have been called out to the location for several incidents, including a shooting in January last year that resulted in the death of one of the victims. The suspects were arrested and charged with murder in that instance and Brown said at the time that he had already ejected the people involved and the shooting took place outside in the parking lot.

Brown said he does plan to pursue legal action with regard to the revocation of his liquor license, but in the meantime “the show will go on” as he explores ways to keep Fuzions open as an entertainment location and family friendly restaurant. He said he is hoping that the community will support him.