By Mike De Felice

Special to Kitsap Daily News

PORT ORCHARD — Washington’s Liquor and Cannabis Board has suspended the liquor license of That One Place restaurant for repeated COVID-19 health and safety violations that include providing indoor restaurant service.

Under Gov. Jay Inslee’s most recent order, restaurants are only allowed to provide outdoor seating and take-out service.

The 180-day suspension handed down by the state governance board is believed to be the first license suspension of its kind to occur in Kitsap County of an establishment not following COVID-19 health-related requirements, board spokeswoman Julie Graham said.

LCB officers visited the restaurant on six occasions and reported observing violations of the health and safety rules barring indoor seating and service. The restaurant was given information on how to comply with the requirements and warned of the consequences of remaining in violation of state law, Graham said.

The licensee was provided 24 hours to avoid the suspension by complying with state law. However, the owner would not agree to follow the law, and the suspension was given, Graham said.

“The Board believes continued operation of the licensed premises constitutes direct and immediate threats to the health, safety or welfare of the public,” the Board said in a news release.

A call to the restaurant owner was not immediately returned.

If the restaurant continued to violate the indoor seating ban, the Department of Labor and Industries could also take action for its violation of workplace health and safety requirements, Tim Church, the department’s spokesman, said. Additional sanctions would involve citations and fines.

The liquor and cannabis board’s duties include enforcing liquor regulations and penalizing license holders that fail to comply with state law. The board can issue license suspensions to protect public health and safety, according to the news release.