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Thursday, March 28, 2024 | Back issues
Courthouse News Service Courthouse News Service

Strip Steak, Not Strip Club, Furious Owner Says

QUEENS (CN) - A businessman whose restaurant was honored as a pillar of the community by the New York City Council says he leased the place to someone on the condition that he would not turn it into a strip club, but that's just what the man did.

Jorge Alarcon claims that the Queens Borough President and the New York City Council both praised his restaurant, Chibcha, when he ran it.

In December 2000 Queens declared a countywide "Chibcha Restaurant Day" for being "one of the best restaurants in the borough" whose "fine cuisine and wonderful Latino entertainment has made [it] one of the special and unique attractions in Jackson Heights and Queens."

Alarcon says New York City Council heaped more praise on Chibcha in July 2006, declaring that its "support for nonprofit events, political and humanitarian campaigns" made it an "outstanding contribution to the residents of New York City."

Months later, Alarcon decided to retire. He leased his restaurant to Miguel Rojas, under the provisions that Roja's company, MDG Lounge Corp., would secure a liquor and cabaret license and under no circumstances would allow "topless dancing or any other type of distasteful entertainment."

"Rojas now does business under the name Oxe's," the complaint states. "Alarcon just realized that this name spelled backwards is 'Sexo,' which means 'sex' in Spanish."

Oxe's offers exotic dancing and pole dancing and advertises on flyers that it has "the prettiest women in the tri-state area," Alarcon says.

He says the club has not paid him in full for the lease, and has violated its liquor and cabaret licenses.

Alarcon seeks money owed and damage for breach of contract. He is represented by Greg Zucker with Westerman Ball and Ederer.

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