Woodland Hills Watering Hole Under City Pressure : Bar Agrees to Curb Crowding, Drinking

Bowing to pressure from Los Angeles officials, operators of a popular Woodland Hills restaurant agreed Friday to control crowding and drinking at their bar.

Entry to the Red Onion and the sale of alcoholic drinks there will be restricted under an agreement reached between the city attorney’s office and officials of the Mexican restaurant chain.

Cited 4 Times This Year

City prosecutors said the Woodland Hills Red Onion bar has been cited four times this year by the city Fire Department for overcrowding, including one night when it was jammed to twice its approved occupancy.

Officials said that 75 of the restaurant’s patrons have been arrested on suspicion of drunk driving this year and that other problems include arrests for assault and battery inside the bar and two reported rapes outside.

City Atty. James K. Hahn said that one rape occurred when a woman “was dragged out of the restaurant and into an alley,” where she was attacked by four men.

Hahn said in a statement that restaurant employees will begin counting incoming patrons and turning away customers when the authorized capacity is reached.

Hahn said the restaurant will no longer allow customers to buy more than one alcoholic drink at a time. Bartenders and waitresses also will be instructed to require identification of patrons appearing to be under 25 years old.

Hahn said the bar was briefly shut down by fire inspectors in October and again in November and lost its business license for one day after an inspection. He said inspectors counted 1,100 persons in the bar on Halloween night; its city-authorized maximum occupancy is 567.

Ralph Saltsman, attorney for the 13-restaurant Red Onion chain, said its management “heartily endorsed” the new controls “in order to assure that the good times that our customers have will continue.”

But he denied that the Woodland Hills outlet has been plagued by criminal activity or has served drinks to intoxicated customers. He said company officials were unaware of the reported rapes.

Saltsman also said the restaurant has no control over a parking structure on private property behind the restaurant or a nearby office building parking lot used by restaurant patrons.

Calls City Hall More Unsafe

“There are more assaults in the City Hall, right across from the city attorney’s office,” he said. “I’d feel more comfortable at the Red Onion than down by the city attorney’s office.”

Jim Carrillo, general manager of the Woodland Hills Red Onion, at 6424 Canoga Ave., said Friday, “We’re doing everything necessary in the spirit of cooperation with the city.”