Bar owners unite for responsibility

A Newport Beach bar owner has announced plans to start a tavern association that would allow bars throughout the city to coordinate events, compare notes on customers and keep an eye on each other’s business practices.

Mario Marovic, the owner of the District Lounge on the Balboa Peninsula, contacted dozens of fellow tavern owners last week and invited them to help organize a group. A preliminary meeting is scheduled for Dec. 10 at 2 p.m. at the Newport Coast Community Center.

Marovic, who spearheaded the project with event planner Al Freeman, said he hopes 100 or more people will attend.

“There’s a restaurant association in Newport Beach, but there’s no real bar or tavern association, so there’s often a disconnect,” he said. “Our goal is to bring them together.”

The association would have a website, regular meetings and newsletters, but also serve as a watchdog for businesses that failed to abide by city rules.

Marovic said he had drafted a checklist of guidelines for bar employees to follow — including how to turn unruly customers away, minimize noise and determine whether someone was drinking before entering a bar.

“Our ultimate goal is to have responsible business practices,” Marovic said. “We kind of feel like one bad apple can ruin the whole barrel. We might have a bar in Newport Beach that’s irresponsible. They get a lot of police calls, and next thing you know, the police are saying there are a lot of bar problems in Newport.”

Freeman, who owns Diamond Productions in Irvine, met Marovic and a number of other bar owners while doing publicity for them. After a while, he said, he realized that a number of them wanted a better relationship with their community.

“We feel that if we put together a good, cooperative program and the bar owners follow these rules and regulations, we can become stronger collectively,” he said.

Marovic said Lt. Craig Frizzell of the Newport Beach Police Department had expressed support for the tavern association and helped with some of the initial planning.

Frizzell did not return calls seeking comment, but Sgt. Evan Sailor said the department was in favor of the program. In the past, he said, the police had brought in Alcoholic Beverage Control officials to train bar employees.

“If it’s going to make the community a better place and address the concerns of residents, then, absolutely, we support it,” Sailor said.

A number of bar owners also said they were intrigued by the plan. Jerry Kolbly, the owner of the Newport Beach Brewing Co., said the association could help taverns smooth out problems with city officials and neighbors. Kolbly, whose restaurant is embroiled in a legal dispute with the city, said he plans to attend the meeting on Dec. 10.

“I just want to hear what these guys have to say and show support,” he said.

MICHAEL MILLER may be reached at (714) 966-4617 or at michael.miller@latimes.com.