Newport club for teens must find new venue

The all-ages nightclub OC Platinum has ceased operating at a Newport Beach restaurant after the state Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control informed the restaurant that using an outside promoter was a violation of its license, officials said Tuesday.

OC Platinum, a dance club at which high-schoolers wear skimpy "booty shorts" and other risque clothing as they dance around stripper poles, formerly operated out of Hogue Barmichaels in the 3900 block of Campus Drive, as well as at the Boogie in Anaheim.

Investigators from the California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control visited OC Platinum at Hogue Barmichaels on Aug. 14 and found the restaurant to be in violation of its operating agreement, said John Carr, spokesman for the state Department of Alcoholic Beverage Enforcement.

Once told by the investigators, Carr said the restaurant owner agreed they would no longer use promoters — anyone who uses the space to run an event separate from the restaurant ownership.

The owner of Hogue Barmichaels could not be reached for comment Tuesday.

The restaurant has a license restriction prohibiting it from using an outside promoter as a result of a large number of police calls, Carr said.

Investigators work closely with local police and will monitor any future complaints from residents about the location, Carr said.

OC Platinum promoter Scott Leotti confirmed Tuesday that his club had moved from the Newport Beach location. He said the club was looking for a new, larger venue.

"We were looking for a new location anyways because Newport was just too small," Leotti said.

On a recent Monday night at OC Platinum, Leotti said the club usually does good business, bringing in about 700 teens each night.

The club had relocated both nights to the Boogie in Anaheim, but that venue is no longer an option after the Boogie lost its license due to a lack of insurance.

Leotti said he knew Hogue Barmichaels wasn't allowed to use outside promoters, but they "went around" that rule.

"I don't want to risk his business," Leotti said of why his club is looking for a new venue.

Despite the recent setbacks, Leotti said it's possible his club will soon be back in Newport Beach.