State liquor authorities have filed charges against three of the biggest nightclubs in Los Angeles, based in part on an NBC LA hidden camera investigation.
State liquor authorities began investigating the nightclubs -- Industry, Voyeur and Hyde -- after they saw the undercover report by Ana Garcia. The businesses have liquor licenses to operate as restaurants, but as NBC LA learned, getting a meal was near impossible.
Are they nightclubs or restaurants? According to their liquor licenses, they are supposed to be restaurants, which means they should serve food.
But when NBC LA producers tried ordering meals at three of LA’s hottest nightclubs, they were left hungry.
Producers went to Hyde Lounge on Sunset Boulevard three times and couldn’t get food even though its liquor license says it's a restaurant.
Our producer was also frisked at Hyde, not a regular occurrence at a restaurant.
At Voyeur on Santa Monica Boulevard, which is prominently featured in a music video with Enrique Iglesias, the focus is clearly not on the hot dishes.
When an NBC LA producer tried to go in, Voyeur’s bouncer asked for a $100 tip.
On two visits, NBC LA saw the kitchen being used for storage and as a changing room for the strippers.
At Industry on La Cienega Boulevard, a table cost a lot of money. NBC LA was told that bottle service started at nearly $400 a bottle with a $2,000 minimum.
That caught the attention of the California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control, or ABC. The department sent investigators in after officials saw the NBC LA undercover report.
"This is serious. We’ve charged all three locations," said Joe Cruz, the assistant director of ABC.
Industry nightclub was charged with six counts of allegedly violating its liquor license.
Voyeur nightclub was charged with four counts, and Hyde was charged with one count.
Hyde and Industry, which are owned by SBE and Sam Nazarian, closed for construction right after our story aired.
State liquor regulators will present their case at hearings later this year.
