Jersey Shore bar’s controversial ‘teen night’ divides small town: ‘Out of control’
A Jersey Shore town is being terrorized by hordes of rowdy teenagers flocking to a local bar’s alcohol-free “teen nights” — as the controversial event has divided the small community.
The town council of Beach Haven, a square-mile summer getaway at the southern end of Long Beach Island, voted 3-2 to ban teen nights earlier this year before the seasonal crowds invaded.
The kid-friendly events have been widely popular at some shore clubs for decades and offer youngsters a chance to dance and party with their friends without alcohol.
However, the teens have been boozing and sparking up before they hit the bar, causing chaos in Beach Haven, police chief James Markowski told the town council, The Wall Street Journal reported.
“I’m not against teen night. It had its place. It’s just right now it’s out of control,” Markoski said.
The source of the issue is The Marlin Restaurant and Bar, owned by former Beach Haven Mayor Michael Battista.
Battista, who has refused to stop hosting the popular events, sued his town in June arguing that the ban discriminates against underage customers and violates their First Amendment right to free speech, according to the paper.
The teen nights have a DJ and an entry fee of $30. They run on Tuesday and Thursday nights from 9:30 p.m. to 11:45 p.m., according to the restaurant’s website.
Since the town ban, Battista has rebranded the nights as “soda nights” — which are open to all ages, although it’s mainly teenagers and an occasional parent, according to the Journal.
Municipalities up and down the Jersey shore have struggled with crowds of teenagers this summer — with one town even declaring a state of emergency — leading many to establish curfews for those under 18.
Last year, the Beach Haven council set a 10 p.m. curfew for minors but it hasn’t worked.
The town has been plagued by fights, public urination and teens stealing alcohol from local shops, according to the Wall Street Journal.
Markosk said the teens are unfazed by the written warnings his officers issue — the main tool at their disposal for minor offenses.
Battista said he knows that the teens’ behavior has caused problems for residents, but defended teen nights since they offer them a supervised, safe space to have fun that keeps them off the streets.
“There is nothing for these kids to do,” Battista told the paper. “My grandmother used to say, ‘The idle time is the devil’s time.’”
Erin Constantine, aka DJ Const, who handles the music, told the paper that the nights give teens the opportunity to learn how to be in a club.
Residents of Beach Haven, a family-friendly beach destination where just over 1,000 people live year-round, are split on the Marlin’s teen nights.
Lisa Lane said she supports teen nights because it keeps drunken teens from congregating outside her home, which is near a park and shopping mall.
“I don’t think the issue is teen night itself. It is what leads up to teen night,” she told The Wall Street Journal.
Other residents aren’t sure if the teen nights are a safe alternative.
“Honestly, it looked like a strip club,” one person said after photos from one of the events circulated around the town.
Battista also said he’s hired additional security to keep teens off the sidewalks while they wait in line to enter. His doormen turn away any teens that appear to be intoxicated, he said.
Markoski, however, told the town council that Marlin security lacked training to handle the mobs.
The Post has reached out to the Beach Haven Police Department and mayor’s office for comment.
Battista says the council ban was a targeted attack on his business by his political opponents.
He claims one council member voted in favor of the measure because Battista stopped allowing her to dock her boat for free on his property and he didn’t back her proposal for a town skate park.
Another councilwoman, according to Battista, has it out for him after he declined to endorse her bid for mayor.
A third council member, Battista said, previously defeated him in a race for a seat on the dais.
“It’s a political witch hunt,” Battista said.
Battista could not immediately be reached while he worked at the restaurant on Friday night.
In response to Battista’s suit, Beach Haven claimed in court papers that New Jersey’s antidiscrimination law doesn’t prohibit age restrictions.
The town told a judge that the ban is the same as keeping kids out of R-rated movies.
