New Haven neighbors, city leaders urge DCP to not renew nightclub liquor permit 

A nightclub in New Haven might have to shut its doors pending a decision by the Department of Consumer Protection (DCP) to renew the nightclub’s liquor license.

The remonstrance hearing involving Secrets Nightclub was prompted by a neighbor-led petition that Alder Christine Kim later submitted to the state DCP Liquor Control Division. 

Neighbors listed quality-of-life concerns including liquor violations, disorderly conduct, fights and assaults. 

In 2025, there were 42 police calls for service to Secrets Nightclub and 28 police calls through June of this year, according to New Haven police data. 

Mayor Justin Elicker was the first witness to provide his testimony to the DCP commissioners. 

“Secrets Nightclub has been a real problem for quite some time. Just to give you an idea, they are required to follow our juice bar ordinance in the city, and they have not done so, and they’ve been cited just this year alone already, six times for that,” he said.

Elicker emphasized the city wants to have a vibrant downtown so long as businesses are following city ordinances and state law. 

Police Capt. Brian McDermott also provided his testimony of the activity he’s observed in and outside of Secrets Nightclub.

McDermott testified to working the bar detail frequently throughout his 17 years with NHPD.

He began his testimony saying, “When Secrets came into this location, there was an immediate and noticeable shift in crowd behavior.” 

He said part of the reason is that the establishment operates as a juice bar, where people only have to be 18 and over to get in. 

“What happens inside these juice bars is they allow people over 21 into a bar, into the same area with people 18 and over. In theory, you have to be over 21 to go up to the bar and order a drink, but after you order a drink, you can travel freely throughout the club and mix and co-mingle with the minors,” McDermott explained. 

McDermott also testified to the crowds of over 6,000 youth arriving in New Haven from across the state for Halloween night in 2025.

“Downtown District Manager Lt. Dave Guliuzza and I were both out there firsthand; both of us have been downtown for Halloween details for many, many years. We’ve never seen anything like that,” McDermott said. “It was more than double the size of any crowd we’ve seen, and we attribute this to the fact that Downtown New Haven became the spot where these youth could go to get into nightclubs with bars.”

Elicker added the city’s Board of Alders is reviewing a zoning ordinance change that may remove juice bars in the future. 

“There’s other things and processes as well to make sure we have some regulation over establishments that are not really good partners of the city,” Elicker said.

In addition, he said this is part of the city’s efforts to hold bad neighbors accountable. 

In May, Rumaj Nightclub, located next door to Secrets Nightclub, announced it would be shutting down before the scheduled remonstrance hearing. 

A virtual continuance hearing is scheduled for July 30th at 10 a.m. to continue discussing a liquor permit for Secrets Nightclub.

Once the hearing is finalized, DCP will have 90 days to decide on the cafe liquor permit.

NBC Connecticut contacted the attorney representing Secrets Nightclub but has not heard back at this time.

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