City Council Reconsiders Closure of Nightclub

The Queen Bee, a Vietnamese nightclub struggling to survive, was given a last-minute reprieve by a City Council poised to close the business.

The Beach Boulevard nightclub, which features stage shows and ballroom dancing, has been at odds with the city for not meeting a requirement to open a restaurant on the premises. A restaurant is required by zoning regulations, which restrict the number of businesses that only serve alcohol in any given area.

“Both the Planning Commission and the City Council have been working with the owners over a period of about two years,” City Manager Terry Matz said.

The council voted May 13 to revoke the Queen Bee’s permit in the Stanton Plaza Shopping Center, but council members hinted the business could continue if the owners quickly established a restaurant on site.

Queen Bee owner Larry Nguyen brought a restaurateur to the council meeting Tuesday and pledged to have a full-service restaurant in operation within two weeks.

Council members voted unanimously to reconsider their previous revocation of the Queen Bee’s conditional-use permit. City inspectors will report back to council members, who will take another vote June 24.

Nguyen said he plans to increase advertising in the Vietnamese community to build support for the increased cost of operating a supper club.

Councilman William C. Estrada warned that the city is running out of patience.

“If they’re going to meet the requirements, then I have no problem with them continuing their operation,” he said. “If it doesn’t happen, then I’m going to be very upset that we’ve wasted the time to go through this whole process again.”