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Burbank 'Vehemently Condemns' Tinhorn Flats For Reopening, Hints At Further Steps
The entrance toTinhorn Flats, an Old West-themed bar in Burbank. (Elina Shatkin/LAist)
The city of Burbank knows what the staff at Tinhorn Flats Saloon and Grill have been up to in the last four months as they've battled local officials and flouted COVID-19 health protocols: breaking padlocks, sawing open boarded-up doors, using a generator after having the power cut off and serving customers in a building that was red-tagged as unsafe.
After the latest defiant reopening, which happened yesterday, the city is hinting at further "measured actions," although Burbank Police Chief Scott LaChasse said in a statement last night that "[s]haring our plan prior to implementation could endanger lives."
LaChasse said his department "vehemently condemns the actions of Tinhorn Flats and their persistent unlawful behavior."
The city had already revoked Tinhorn Flats' conditional use permit and cut off its electricity when it posted the red tag notice Wednesday declaring the building off limits for occupancy due to several fire hazards, one of which was the use of the generator.
As of Thursday afternoon, that generator was still buzzing while diners sipped beer and watched baseball on the restaurant's back patio — a space included in the red tag notice.
Meanwhile, the owner's son, Lucas Lepejian, said he plans to address some of the violations outlined in the red tag notice and reopen indoor dining next week.
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