by Mona Mahadevan The New Haven independent
Crown Street features two “problematic” juice bars: Secrets and Rumaj.
Mayor Justin Elicker: “[Juice bars have] contributed to significant public safety issues, quality of life incidents as well.”
The city is cracking down on juice bars — not the kind that serve green smoothies, but the late-night party spots for people under 21.
On Wednesday, new city and state efforts targeting juice bars were announced by Mayor Justin Elicker, Alders Christine Kim and Elias Theodore, Acting Police Chief David Zannelli, and City Plan Director Laura Brown. The press conference took place outside of Gotham Citi Cafe, a block from where an 18-year-old was killed on Oct. 31, 2025 in a shootout that also left three others between the ages of 18 and 21 injured.
Juice bars are separate areas within alcohol-selling establishments where nonalcoholic beverages are served to minors. According to state law, places with juice bars have cafe permits, which allow them to sell alcohol as long as food is also for sale. In addition to Gotham Citi Cafe, Elicker listed Rumaj, Secrets, and 144 Temple Street as examples of troublesome juice bars in downtown New Haven.
“We’ve had some particularly problematic actors, including [Gotham Citi], that have operated after-hours events that have attracted literally thousands of young people from across the region,” said Elicker. “They’ve contributed to significant public safety issues, quality of life incidents as well, including illegal alcohol sales to minors, disorderly conduct, noise, fights, assaults, shootings, and other crimes and offenses.”
Since Aug. 31, 2025, events from Gotham Citi, Secrets, and Rumaj have produced over 250 calls for service, with Rumaj alone resulting in 138, said Elicker. 144 Temple Street, while less problematic, has given rise to 30 calls.
“In my view, [juice bars] should not be operating in the city,” he said.
The four shootings of young people on Oct. 31, 2025 have pushed the city to step up its regulation of juice bars. That night, over 10,000 young people gathered downtown to attend juice bar events, overwhelming the 40 police officers stationed in the area, said Lt. David Guliuzza.
In the last two years, police officers responded to reports of 56 fights, 14 shootings, and two homicides in the area of juice bars, said Acting Police Chief David Zannelli.
Many juice bar operators are also flouting a state requirement to provide advanced notice of events to the police department, said Guliuzza. Among the four juice bars that Elicker named, he said he delivers between three and five citations every weekend for failure to inform the department about events.
On Wednesday, Elicker presented three solutions to the city’s juice bar problem.
First, the city will amend the zoning code to ban future juice bars. According to City Plan Director Laura Brown, the proposed ordinance defines juice bars as “a separate and limited area” in an establishment with a cafe alcohol license where “non-alcoholic beverages are served to minors” and alcoholic beverages are not consumed.
Brown said the change would prevent future juice bars from opening, but current bars would be able to continue operating.
Second, the city is supporting S.B. 408, which would give municipalities more control over how they regulate juice bars. For example, cities could limit their hours or ban juice bars, existing or planned, altogether.
Third, Downtown/East Rock Alder Christine Kim and resident Bill Dully, who recorded the crowds outside of Gotham Citi on Oct. 31, 2025, are leading remonstrance petitions to end alcohol sales at Gotham Citi, Secrets, and Rumaj. The state Liquor Control Commission will soon schedule a hearing to decide whether to allow the three nightclubs to renew their liquor permits.
“I believe in a good time. I love having a good time! I love a good party,” said Kim. “However, we need to do so safely,” and make sure that parties “do not endanger the safety of our residents and our children.”