Manchester cafe caught with 60 people inside has licence revoked

A Manchester cafe has been stripped of its licence after the owner allowed large groups of people in during lockdown.

The Burnage cafe, Kate and Luc Cafe Restaurant, has been forced to close for three months after showing a ‘flagrant disregard’ for public health.

Greater Manchester Police and Manchester council licensing officials made five visits to the premises in the first two months of 2021 after receiving reports it was ‘rammed’ with people, the BBC reports.

However Mr Domanski, the licensee, refused to accept he was breaking the rules.

Domanski told a Manchester council licence review hearing that he had suffered a mental health breakdown after struggling to apply for financial support for his business.

Nevertheless, the council’s licensing subcommittee described his behaviour as ‘appalling’ and revoked their licence.

Bodycam footage of the cafe on February 2nd shows a small number of customers inside. On February 5th, GMP and council officers visited again to find the cafe filled with even more customers.

On a final visit on February 7th, GMP estimated between 60 and 70 people were inside the cafe eating and drinking. 

Domanski continued to serve customers while customers themselves filmed the incident. 

PC Alan Isherwood told the hearing it was ‘clear that Mr Domanski is unfit to hold the licence’. 

Domanski’s representative said he had been diagnosed with a mental health disorder and the enforcement visits had caused him distress, ‘impeded his actions’ and provoked a ‘fight or flight’ response.

Domanski said: “We tried hard with all the restrictions, we lost 85 to 90 per cent of income. We just couldn’t do it and I gave up. I had no choice, that was my feeling.

“I’ve got a problem with depression for nine to 10 years, I’ve been on and off medicines. It’s too much stress for me.”

The business now no longer has permission to trade.

In a statement, the panel said: “The reasons for revocation are the flagrant disregard by the premises holder for Covid regulations.

“The committee are absolutely appalled at how the premises licence holder had treated the officers, and they have no confidence that the licensing objectives will be upheld due to the actions taken by the premise silence holder during this pandemic.

“A measured approach was taken by GMP and Manchester council officers to work with this premises licence holder, however he clearly has not cooperated whatsoever.”