A nightclub in San Jose has managed to fly a bit below the radar and reopen as a restaurant with outdoor "dining," however flyers posted on social media and video from patrons suggest that the place is throwing business-as-usual parties without much or any social distancing in place.
Aura Lounge, which still calls itself Aura Kitchen and Bar on its website despite calling itself a nightclub on its private Instagram account, has been throwing "patio parties" over the last two weeks. And as ABC 7 reports, when customers and others have suggested on social media that these may be unsafe, the management has responded with expletives and aggression.
"I love you guys, Aura! But when in times like this, y'all gotta be more careful," said one Aura patron in a comment on Instagram. "This isn't 6-ft apart seating and y'all gonna get shut down for this. Or your employees gonna get sick. Please don't be a reason why Santa Clara County has to stop outdoor seating."
A man named Armando — apparently this guy, Armando Vanlone, who lists his email as a contact on Aura's Instagram page — replied to the comment saying, "Fuck off," and "Fuck your uneducated comment." So that's nice.
In another instance on Instagram, a commenter said, "Be smart y'all. This ain't it." The Aura SJ account replied, "Lol smart... lol who the fuck is you."
Another Aura patron, Ruby Castillo, shared some DMs that Armando apparently sent her after she questioned a video she'd seen posted that has since been deleted. "I say let us drink and go find a way to go fuck yourself," he allegedly told her.
Below are some of the flyers for the recent parties, posted to the Instagram account @delabahiaenterprise, which is apparently linked to Vanlone.
ABC 7 has already escalated this to the San Jose City Manager, so let's assume that this club might not be hosting any more happy hours or parties this weekend under the auspices of being a restaurant.
