North Charleston lounge with troubled past to close, co-owner says

NORTH CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCBD) – An owner of a popular North Charleston lounge with a troubled past says the business will close.

Michael Brown, co-owner of Blue Note Bistro, said in a video posted to Facebook that ongoing litigation over a past fight that broke out nearby and involved some patrons ultimately led to the decision to cease operations at the Dorchester Road business.

“We’ve been in litigation because there was an incident – it wasn’t a shooting, there was a fight – amongst some ladies at the Blue Note Bistro a little over two years ago,” said Brown in his video, adding: “It did not start in Blue Note … but the altercation occurred on the Food Lion side of the parking lot.”

The incident involved multiple individuals.

Brown explained that a court order led to the business’s LLC being dissolved; however, he said they filed an appeal but, in the meantime, the State Law Enforcement Division (SLED) revoked the Blue Note’s license in February while they awaited a decision on the appeal.

Records from the South Carolina Secretary of State’s website show the LLC was dissolved on March 18, 2024.

“Unfortunately, we are going to close this location,” Brown said in Wednesday night’s meeting.

Brown, who also represents District 1 on North Charleston City Council, said they have been in the location for roughly five years but noted the lease was expected to expire sometime over the summer. He said they were considering moving to another location.

“We do everything within our power to make sure our patrons feel safe … we can hold our heads high because we ran a solid, successful business and we can honestly say we weren’t put out of business because we didn’t have business,” Brown said.

The State Law Enforcement Division announced on Wednesday that Brown was charged with failure to secure the required beer or wine sale permit, unlawful storage of alcoholic liquors, and unlawful possession of alcoholic liquors. A court date is slated for April 30 in North Charleston.

The business has seen a few incidents over the years. In June 2021, North Charleston officers responded to an early morning shooting at the establishment where a man suffered a gunshot wound to the upper torso. Brown claimed a conflict happened in the parking lot outside the business.

Police said several others were injured while attempting to leave the building. The shooting prompted Blue Note’s owner to add a TSA-approved metal detector to their security measures.

North Charleston officers responded to a “shots fired” call at the lounge in May 2022 that left several injured. Three bullet holes were found in the front windows and door of the business.

Several people were found inside the Blue Note Bistro suffering from injuries related to either a gunshot wound or “broken glass as a result of the chaos after the shooting,” according to a report from police.

Brown said the incidents at the bar are part of a larger issue in violence across the community and said it’s something the city is working to deter.

It’s not clear if the business will re-open at a new location.

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