2nd El Paso bar gets license suspended for alleged virus safety violations

EL PASO, Texas -- A second El Paso bar is now among a dozen across Texas to have its liquor license suspended following Gov. Greg Abbott's warning this past week to bar and restaurant operators to follow state coronavirus protocols.

The Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission on Sunday said Coconuts Bar & Grill, located at 816 N. Piedras Street in the Five Points area, is out-of-business for the next month for non-compliance with customer capacity limit and social distancing requirements.

It joins Werk Bar, located at 1441 Zaragoza Road near Pellicano Drive in east El Paso, which received a 30-day license suspension on Friday.

Over the past three nights, liquor agents said they have inspected hundreds of bars and restaurants across the state to find violators who pose a threat to public safety during the virus pandemic.

"We warned businesses TABC will have no tolerance for breaking the rules," said the agency's executive director Bentley Nettles, "and now, some bars are paying the price."

The operators of Coconuts and Werk could not immediately be reached for comment on their license suspensions.