April 29, 2015 By Christian Murray
A bar/restaurant located on the corner of 48th Street and Barnett Avenue has come under fire by local residents.
Several residents have complained about noise coming from the 47-15 Barnett Avenue establishment, while others allege that it has been operating well past 4 am (after hours).
Community Board 2 Chair Pat O’Brien said the board has fielded more than six complaints regarding the establishment in recent months.
Furthermore, the operators of the bar/restaurant—called Baru–have failed to show up at several board meetings in recent months to discuss the renewal of their liquor license, according to board records. (see March meeting)
Emilo Rubio opened Baru in 2012 as a Colombian restaurant.
Rubio has been a controversial figure in Sunnyside for years. Nearly a decade ago, he wanted to open Punto G—Spanish for G spot—at the Barnett Ave. location. Many outraged residents thought he was opening a strip club– a claim Rubio denied.
The community board is currently keeping the 108 police precinct up-to-date with the complaints it has been fielding, according to police.
“The main complaints we receive [concerning Baru] deal with noise and after hours drinking,” said Captain John Travaglia, the commanding officer of the precinct, at the monthly community council meeting last night.
Travaglia said that he has a unit that focuses on bars/restaurants that has been monitoring Baru. He said that his officers had not yet observed any of the problems that residents have raised.
However, Travaglia said that while his officers had yet to encounter problems it doesn’t mean that they don’t exist. “I don’t deny the validity of the claims,” he said.
“We are actively looking into the location,” Travaglia said. However, he did note that there are several other establishments in the precinct that also have to be monitored between 3 am and 5 am.
In terms of noise, Travaglia’s officers believe that a big part of the problem are the patrons hanging outside as they come in and out.
Rubio could not be reached for comment.
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32 Comments
This place was rocking again last night till 4am. Felt the bass vibrating, and I live half a block away, 6 floors up! Shut this dump down!
I’m getting a job with Rikki and her alternative schedule so I can go to Baru at 7am
Who cares? It’s just the hipster yuppies in the gardens that are complaining.
Just to clarify, this stupid lounge/strip joint/drug den/afterhours dump is called Kiro’s Lounge. Noise is no longer the main issue here. I have seen the people who come in and out of this place. They are THUGS! These are not people from the neighborhood. These are people who carry guns. Do you want to be walking past on a Sunday morning when a gun fight breaks out and spills on to the street?
This place must be shut down NOW, before something terrible happens.
http://yooying.com/KIROSLOUNGE
http://www.residentadvisor.net/event.aspx?693731
Your comment is just soo stupid!! I have being in that place. Very beautiful place and beautiful people. The people call for noice? I dont think si… The only neighbors around is home depot, LIRR, a empty building, a park and closed factories at that time.
First of all, get a dictionary and spell your words correct. Second, did you forget the 165 unit apartment building across the street from this trash hole?! The one that two bouncers from this place came to and used the laundry room trash can as a place to use the bathroom?! Yeah. I bet you forgot.
The place is located in an area that doesnt disturb anybody!!! I think is just envy people!!! The place is very beautiful and good people!!! I have being there and no complaints about the place!!! Noise!! I dont know from whom!! From empty properties and closed factories??
Again, Rose you must be a part of the “very beautiful and good people staff.” You also must be severely blinded by the large apartment complex across the street to Kiro Lounge. Everyone complains about this place because it’s a rat hole. I’m 26 years old and I would NEVER EVER be seen in this good for nothing trashy place. The girls look like hookers, they’re likely underage, the DJ looks like an Eminem wannabe, the owner is going through a midlife crisis trying to relive his “professional music career” through this place.
I am not agree with your comment!!! Probably you never go out o go to the place!!! There is not way for a complaint for noise, and the people that gies there is a very nice and educated people!!! Your commets doesn’t have any fundation!! It is not true period.
They likely received their education at the same school you learned how to spell. All comments are true, there are plenty of photos and videos to prove it.
I think Rose is just messing with you
damn freakin WUSSIES i remember 20 years ago bars used to be open till 7 am in Charleston south Carolina….and dj’s had full time jobs…. i could see if tires are slashed and gunfire…but noise…..
I’ve lived in Sunnyside since 1960 and always remember Barnett being zoned for light industry. About 10 years ago they started allowing establishments that served food and alcohol to open up back there.. The gym/billiard joint was nothing but trouble and forced to close now this underground type of club is an issue. That street is unique in the fact that is is a strip of industrial properties abutting railroad tracks on one side and the back yards of homes and the Rear of the Sunnyside Towers apartment on the other side Why would a club want to set up shop in this desolate location that is so off the beat and path? This is on the community board for allowing a liquor license in the first place at this location, we just went through this. Locate these establishments on the other side of the LIRR tracks. It’s not that complicated nobody lives there. And for the shadey establishments looking to locate in “secret” deserted areas that are only accessible by cars without parking just like the one you’re currently in more power to you, you’ll thrive only without opposition this time.
Just ghetto tag the joint with the so called work of art we have on greenpoint ave. So that we all can drop by for a drink.
You guys need Batman in your life!!!
Wake up JVB and send him over here for a mojitto to check the place out. Maybe he can do a little dance on the bar while he’s inspecting the jurnt. If he stumbles across his cop buddy gettin a lap dance we know the place is solid.
You just wrote jurnt in probably the stupidest comment I’ve ever observed on this site thus, making whatever you say on and off this site irrelevant.
They should tear down all these ghetto buildings and turn them into green space along the lines of LIRR. If you want to party, go to manhattan.
Describe a “ghetto building” please…w/o out making a racist comment.
And who should pay for this??
Lighten up, Garden dwellers, and join the rest of Sunnyside and Woodside, won’t you? We’ve all dealt with the late night/early morning party people forEVER! Welcome to urban living and coexist.
The owner sounds like a perfect candidate for the Sunnyside Chamber of Commerce!!!!…I am sure Pronto is taking advantage of the late night early morning business
Are u people that uptight! I’ve live in the neighborhood for 40 years u guys have a stick up ur ass
“Capt Travaglia said that he has a unit that focuses on bars/restaurants that has been monitoring Baru. He said that his officers had not yet observed any of the problems that residents have raised.”
Is it too hard to send a patrol car by there at 5:00am and SEE whats going on? Maybe they can catch the thieves who are back stealing wheels off peoples cars, instead of writing bullshit traffic summonses.
NYPD unit that focuses on bars/restaurants has been monitoring Baru but officers have not yet observed any of the problems that residents have raised because they are on the Baru payroll.
Went in for a beer at 3am… Seeexy laaaadies
Just what do you mean by that? Dancers? Strippers?
So a sexy lady has to be a stripper? Since when?
Thanks for the tip, I’ve been looking for a bangin new club to hit up since I moved over from Billyburg!
Go back to “Billyburg”.
This place is not called Baru anymore- that sign came down. The new sign, which is only visible when it’s open, says “Kira” or “Kiva” with a backwards K. I wonder if there has been an ownership change.
Hi Emily,
In March, the bar was supposed to appear before Community Board 2 to discuss its application for the renewal of its liquor license. The name listed was Baru.
Therefore Kira or Kiva must be DBA
See link to committee agenda in March
http://www.cb2queens.org/calendar.html?action=eventDetail&EventID=504
.
http://appext20.dos.ny.gov/corp_public/CORPSEARCH.ENTITY_INFORMATION?p_nameid=4252695&p_corpid=4248675&p_entity_name=%42%61%72%75&p_name_type=%41&p_search_type=%42%45%47%49%4E%53&p_srch_results_page=1