Crowds descend on lounge parking lot, grab booze after metro Atlanta club owners evicted

ATLANTA — A group of people swarmed outside an Atlanta club after the owners were evicted and boxes of liquor were left out in the parking lot Wednesday.

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The incident unfolded outside of the Red Martini lounge on 3179 Peachtree Street.

A video shared with Channel 2 Action News showed people collecting the boxes of liquor bottles and driving away with them.

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According to a court order, the club’s owners terminated the lease on August 4, 2023, but the business owners refused to move out of the property.

The attorney for Red Martini Lounge, Alcide L. Honoré, disputes that claim.

“This eviction was 100% illegal,” Honoré said in a statement. “Red Martini has consistently paid its rent, even overpaying monthly to avoid any disputes related to nonpayment. Claims of back rent issues are entirely unfounded.”

You can read his full statement below.

The landlord, listed as Ralph + Rita Venture LLC, was granted a writ of possession of the property on Dec. 19, 2023. The business was supposed to leave the property within seven days.

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According to court documents, the business’s tenants, listed as P Tav, Inc., owe the landlord more than $55,000.

Below is the full statement from Honoré Law, LLC:

“The beloved Buckhead community establishment, Red Martini, was abruptly and unlawfully evicted today without any prior notice from either the landlord, Ralph + Rita Venture, LLC, or the Fulton County Marshal’s Department. This shocking event saw over $100,000 worth of spirits and several hundred thousand dollars worth of furnishings recklessly discarded into dumpsters and the parking lot, triggering chaos as looters converged to seize whatever they could.

The lack of professionalism and concern displayed by the Fulton County Marshal’s Department resulted in a chaotic and dangerous scene, with multiple individuals brandishing firearms, numerous thefts, injuries, and substantial losses for Red Martini.

Over thirty hardworking Atlanta citizens—including mothers, fathers, students, and caregivers—now find themselves suddenly unemployed and without income, with no prior notice.

This eviction was 100% illegal and is the culmination of a pattern of abusive, immoral, and unethical behavior by Red Martini’s landlord, Ralph + Rita Venture, LLC. Since August 4, 2023, the landlord has sought to illegally remove all tenants located in the 3179 Peachtree Rd building. Several tenants begrudgingly closed their doors, lacking the resources to fight the wealthy landlords. It has now become clear that this was motivated by the landlord’s desire to sell the building to a developer and remove all tenants to command a higher price.

This case has been in litigation for months. The writ of possession that Red Martini filed in the Fulton County Magistrate Court on May 21, 2024, was illegal because the Magistrate Court had no jurisdiction over this matter at the time, as the case had already been elevated to the Fulton County Superior Court and was under a stay due to an ongoing appeal until June 10, 2024.

Despite multiple false reports suggesting otherwise, Red Martini has consistently paid its rent, even overpaying monthly to avoid any disputes related to nonpayment. Claims of back rent issues are entirely unfounded. In cases where a landlord-tenant matter is being disputed before the court, tenants have the option to pay rent into the court’s registry if they want to continue to use the premises during an appeal of an eviction. Red Martini even offered to make these payments directly to the landlord, who scoffed, claiming, “We are going to kick you all out no matter what anyone says.”

A motion is currently pending before the Superior Court of Fulton County to address this matter and seek justice for Red Martini’s owners, operators, employees, and patrons.

The actions of Ralph + Rita Venture, LLC, and the Fulton County Marshal’s Department were not only illegal but also deeply immoral. If the landlords truly wanted to remove the tenants legally, all they had to do was provide the proper six months notice that the lease requires if they intend to sell the property. This would have given Red Martini sufficient time to make the necessary arrangements that any business—or any person—would need.

This incident is part of a broader pattern of aggressive and unethical tactics by landlords in our community. Other long-time businesses such as Highland Bakery, Amaza Pizzeria, 10th & Piedmont, and The Rusty Nail have also faced similar pressures from greedy landlords who jacked up rents or forced tenants out to sell to developers.

We stand firm in our commitment to seek justice and ensure that Red Martini is made whole. This behavior by Ralph + Rita Venture, LLC, and the Fulton County Marshal’s Department is unacceptable, and we will not rest until this matter is resolved.”

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