Employees of Brothers Lounge issued citations following calls of noise disturbance

Employees of Brothers Lounge, 4801 N. Austin Ave., were issued citations following an incident that occurred at the establishment at about 1:20 a.m. Saturday, May 27, according to 16th (Jefferson Park) District police.

Officers responded to a call of a noise disturbance and heard loud music coming from the business and saw about 20 people standing outside the building and people sitting on two couches located on the sidewalk outside next to the door, according to police. Officers asked an employee to turn the volume down and to produce the city licenses for the business and he was unable to produce any, police said.

The officers reported that about 195 people were inside the building in a small space that was filled with smoke and littered with empty beer cans and liquor bottles and that there was disc jockey equipment, lighting and speakers set up in a corner of the room, according to police. The officers reported that the restrooms were not functional and that water was overflowing, and that there was only one exit door to the establishment with no occupancy signs or proper exit signs posted, police said.

The officers reported that an employee said that he did not charge a cover fee for entry to the establishment, but that the promoter of the event was charging $10 at the door, according to police. The officers reported that one employee produced a photograph of a $2,200-month lease agreement that they would open a hookah lounge at the address, police said.

The workers of the establishment were issued citations for operating a business without a city license, a public place of amusement license or a music and dance license, littering and failing to post an exit warning sign, according to police.