A series of recent incidents in and around the Mayslack’s Bar and Grill parking lot led to a public meeting on September 26, with City Council Member Michael Rainville and 2nd Precinct Minneapolis Police Department Lieutenant Ryan Johnson present, along with Amy Lingo, the City’s Manager for Licenses and Consumer Services.
The audience, mostly Sheridan Neighborhood residents, brought their concerns about bar patrons (and non-patrons) drinking in their parked cars after closing times as well as episodes of fighting and property damage. Also present at the gathering were the owners of Mayslack’s, the owner of the Knight Cap Bar and Lounge and the manager of the Spring Street Tavern. According to Dean Jacklitch, owner of Mayslack’s since 2006, the people causing problems are often hanging out in his bar’s parking lot and are not inside as paying customers. When these people are asked to leave the premises, they often refuse. When they do depart, they will often head to a nearby Northeast bar and cause the same types of incidents. All three establishments have experienced similar incidents and expressed their concern.
Rainville moderated the meeting, which was held at the Rogue Buddha Gallery on 13th Avenue NE, said the problems at Mayslack’s “are affecting your quality of life. There was a big fight several Thursdays ago in the bar’s parking lot. After the police were called, it took about 45 minutes to disperse the crowd, many of whom moved on to the 1029 Bar and the Spring Street Tavern and raised hell down there.” He asked for ways to mitigate the problem, stressing the need to call 911 at the start of any trouble.
Johnson said, “If you see what you believe to be an unruly group of people, which we’re seeing more and more, unfortunately, especially at bar close, call 911 anytime. The behavior can include lots of people getting out into intersections, obstructing traffic, and often enough, these roving fights. We’ll get there as soon as we can.” He noted that bar…