Restaurant under investigation after alcohol, hookah found at Patriots after-hours party
By Peter Eliopoulos, Imani Clement
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BOSTON (WCVB) — A Boston restaurant is accused of staying open past 2 a.m. to host a private party for some New England Patriots players after they beat the Denver Broncos in January’s AFC Championship Game.
The owner of Estella restaurant in Downtown Crossing is facing a license violation from the Boston Licensing Board after police responded to the business for a noise complaint on Jan. 27.
According to a police report, when officers arrived, they were blocked from entering by security.
Police later encountered several Patriots players, a DJ, liquor, hookah, marijuana, exotic dancers, and dollar bills scattered around the business.
“Regardless of whether this is a private party, whether this is the Patriots, open to the public, you are a licensed premise,” boardmember Kathleen Joyce said during a Tuesday hearing.
The party was in violation of Boston’s last call, as the sale and consumption of liquor, as well as smoking and unauthorized adult entertainment, were happening after 2 a.m. during the night in question.
“They said that someone was walking downstairs, got scared when the police arrived, and accidentally dropped 1 dollar bills on the floor,” Boston police Sergeant Rebecca Leo said.
The owner of the bar said some of the more famous players were let in a back door here, but that everyone was supposed to leave by closing time, which is 2 a.m.
“It’s on us to do our duty to get them out, but it was more of a bad situation that we put ourselves in by even accepting them in,” Estella’s owner, George Brandao, said. “It was a lot of entitlement. And trying to get that many people out.”
The owner was previously in front of the licensing board for a similar situation involving a party with singer Chris Brown.
“There are no exceptions in our rules for celebrities like Chris Brown or the Patriots,” Joyce said. “Your staff was obviously not on their game that night if they let people come in the back door, and have a DJ just randomly set up, and have strippers come and randomly throw $1 bills all over the floor.”
It is unclear which Patriots players were allegedly at the party.
NewsCenter 5 reached out to the team for comment, but has yet to hear back.
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