284 guests, 6 tickets
Authorities bust Qns. catering venue during wedding
The honeymoon was over before it started.
City officials shut down a Queens wedding where nearly 300 guests partied inside the Royal Elite Palace Caterers like it was 2019 — drinking and dancing without face coverings or social distancing, authorities said Saturday.
Sheriffs arrived at the Garfield Ave. hall in Woodside at 11:50 p.m. on Friday after getting an anonymous complaint, and saw people slipping inside through an indoor parking garage as loud music blared from a band.
The reception, complete with dinner and drinks, was immediately shut down and the 284 guests sent home as authorities took the Royal Palace owner and manager into custody, authorities said.
Outraged neighbors on Saturday slammed the sprawling catering business for being so reckless.
“With all the spikes we’re getting right now?” asked Theresa Riano, 36, referring to recent reports of coronavirus clusters cropping up around the city.
“I’m furious ... in our community, everybody’s wearing a mask when they go walk a dog,” she fumed. “And to hear that people just come in here, not wearing a mask, congregating more than 100 people ... it’s frustrating.”
Venue manager Paata Sichinava received four desk appearance tickets, while owner Aba Cohen was given a pair of summonses, authorities said.
Both face a court hearing and potential fines if found guilty, officials said.
A man who lives across the street claimed the venue continued operating illegally after COVID-19 restrictions shut down indoor dining across the city in March.
“There’s always a party going on and they’re always coming in from the back door,” said Gennaro Barros, 57, a Woodside resident for 28 years. “Since May they’ve been having parties. The majority of the time they’re here until 3 a.m.”
A Saturday email seeking comment from Royal Elite was not returned. But the massive hall, with a capacity of up to 700 people, made no mention of COVID-19 restrictions on its website.
“We here at Royal Elite Palace truly believe that a personal touch and the utmost attention to detail is what turns an ordinary event into an ‘Elite’ event,” read a promotional blurb for the business.
The bust comes as the city announced an uptick in COVID-19 cases in multiple neighborhoods in Brooklyn and Queens, where up to 6% of recent test results have come back positive.
“We are fighting against a pandemic, my husband almost died,” said neighborhood resident Patrizia Terrejon, 40. “And I don’t understand how you have the capacity to avoid responsibility for everyone else, for money.”
Terrejon was angered to hear the business received only a half-dozen tickets for putting people’s health at risk.
“How is a man making money, who is having parties daily, able to get away with a summons?” she wondered.