By March 14, neighbors’ complaints had reached the chief of police.
“We need some immediate help,” one woman wrote in an email. She hoped that help would arrive soon, “before we have yet another weekend of mayhem.”
The chief responded, encouraging her and others to keep reporting violations as city officials tried to crack down on an illegal nightclub that had suddenly popped up next to multi-million dollar homes on Long Beach’s Naples Island.
Neighbors said partiers were leaving trash strewn across a parking lot, blasting late-night noise into their homes and even participating in a recent predawn brawl. It was all taking place in a closed-down high-end restaurant that had quickly transformed into a persistent nuisance.
The restaurant, 4 Shore, launched with lofty ambitions last May, serving a mix of steaks, seafood and cocktails. It aimed to live up to the reputation of two beloved steakhouses that used to occupy the same space: Chianina and Kelly’s. 4 Shore’s home-grown owner Joshua Sanchez promised to “embrace the community.”
But what wasn’t mentioned at the time is the restaurant was operating illegally, according to city officials.
Despite opening in early May, 4 Shore was not issued a business license or health permit until Aug. 7, city spokesperson Jennifer Rice Epstein said.
Then, shortly after getting those final sign-offs, 4 Shore announced without explanation that it was closing.
Shutting down the business voided its permits, according to Rice Epstein. But that wasn’t the end.
Neighbors near Second Street and Ravenna Drive soon began noticing large crowds entering the closed-down space late on weekends.
In an email chain reviewed by the Long Beach Post, they said excessive noise emanated from the building, continuing until nearly 5 a.m.
The aftermath of these parties, they said, included broken liquor bottles and trash left scattered across the parking lot and along the sidewalk.
A fight captured on security camera video in early March showed a group of four men throwing punches at each other on the street.
Elsewhere, a social media post promoting the club showed a music video seemingly shot inside. In another post, the promoter bragged about being shut down by the cops and promised to reopen.
By this point, the city had already been working to put an end to the partying.
The City Attorney’s office sent a cease-and-desist letter on Feb. 13, according to Deputy City Attorney Ashleigh Stone.
Alleged violations included operating as a restaurant with alcohol service, “entertainment activities” and a hookah lounge, Stone said in an email to the Long Beach Post.
Sussing out who was responsible was more complicated: The renewed activity seemingly stemmed from a new business, under the name Headquarters at the Lounge, operating at the former 4 Shore space.
Kyriee Management, a limited liability company, had applied for permits on Jan. 28, according to the city, but the licenses were still pending and — even now — it’s at the planning review stage, Rice Epstein said.
In mid-March, enforcement escalated when the City Prosecutor sent a notice to abate public nuisance to 4 Shore’s owners on file: locals Sanchez and John Ross III, who is an NFL wide receiver and Jordan High School graduate.
The letter warned they are responsible for stopping excessive noise and unlicensed activities at the property or they could face criminal prosecution.
In a brief interview with the Post, Sanchez said he was the sole owner of 4 Shore but does not have any involvement with the new venture.
State business records show that Kyriee Management, the LLC that applied for the business license in January, is run by Ross.
Ross did not respond to multiple requests for comment.
According to Deputy City Attorney Stone, the business and its owners are now complying with Long Beach’s warnings and “actively working through the city process to obtain all required licenses and permits.”
City Prosecutor Doug Haubert credited residents, including Naples Neighborhood Watch, with blowing the whistle on the nightclub.
“I think they acted fast and by acting fast they prevented problems at this location from growing,” he said.
If there is further activity at the property, Haubert said his office would look at prosecuting those responsible.