Latest Update (August 14, 2025)

According to public records, Hugh Hershall Newmark, owner of the 1-Up Lounge and Cardhaven, was arrested by the Bellingham Police Department on August 11, 2025 for Assault in the 4th Degree – Domestic Violence (Case No. 5A0600007, Bellingham Municipal Court). He was booked with no bail allowed and released on August 13.

Video of August 11th, 2025 Incident
▶️ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/m4_Hxfxdm7I
▶️ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@joecockersmith/video/7539123410060725534

Court records confirm a lifetime or indefinite Domestic Violence Protection Order (DVPO) has been granted, expiring in 2099 (protection order here). This is not a short-term dispute — it’s one of the most serious orders the court can impose.

Key Events

• Petition nears 200 signatures — internal “talking points” memo distributed to staff.
• Shortly after — victim publicly begs for the return of a stolen puppy (screenshot here).
• Same victim announces she has “quit” Cardhaven, despite being a legal co-owner (post here), signaling deep instability in the business.
• Days later — Hugh is arrested for Domestic Violence.

This arrest and protection order follows years of documented allegations from former employees and patrons.

The Petition

When this petition began in September 2022, our focus was narrow — pushing for 1-Up Lounge/Cardhaven to become a 21+ establishment due to troubling marketing choices and risks to minors. The deeper allegations of misconduct were not yet fully substantiated.

Now, the picture is far clearer.

Across three major Reddit threads — in 2022, 2024, and July and August 2025 — dozens of independent testimonies from former employees and patrons have emerged. Moderators have verified these accounts using pay stubs and other records. Together, they paint a consistent picture of serious alleged misconduct:

• Sexual harassment and inappropriate advances by ownership
• Withholding pay until employees invoked RCW 49.48.010
• Use of NDAs as intimidation, despite unenforceability under the NLRA
• Verbal abuse, belittling, and emotional volatility
• Chronic high turnover with ownership blaming staff instead of taking responsibility
• Illegal serving practices
• Domestic violence

Archive links included in case of removal from reddit.

2022 Thread: https://www.reddit.com/r/Bellingham/comments/w2ep71/whoever_the_new_mods_are_they_absolutely_cannot/
Archive: https://archive.ph/GwwcF

2024 Thread: https://www.reddit.com/r/Bellingham/comments/1bj5uru/have_you_had_a_good_experience_with_1up_lounge_or/
Archive: https://archive.ph/WphXn

July 2025: https://www.reddit.com/r/Bellingham/comments/1mbx1k9/1up_former_employee_statement/
Archive: https://archive.ph/ld46O

These accounts are unlikely to all just be rumors. There are simply too many consistent accounts, across too many years, for this to be fabricated.

The August 2025 Leaked Internal Memo (see it here)
Recently, a 1-Up Lounger/Cardhaven internal “talking points” document surfaced, instructing staff how to respond if customers ask about the accusations. The memo, marked “internal use only and not to be shared outside”, coaches employees to downplay the issues, emphasize that “Hugh is working on it,” and redirect questions to ownership. It encourages vague assurances over specifics, presenting the problems as merely “stuff to fix” or “lessons to learn.”

This is not transparency. It is a coordinated PR script for damage control — reinforcing the perception that accountability is secondary to optics.

August 2025: https://www.reddit.com/r/Bellingham/comments/1mnuac2/1up_lounges_owner_is_still_gaslighting_staff_and/
Archive: https://archive.ph/dOXTb

Direct Admission of Violations
The owners themselves have publicly admitted to breaking liquor laws. On June 26, 2025, their Instagram stated:

“We caught our first violation in 8 years for consumption during service hours... If you don’t pay the fine and send in the documents to the LCB, they issue you a 5 day suspension... We’ll see y’all next week.”

This casual, almost joking admission of noncompliance — paired with the internal memo’s scripted deflections — reflects a troubling disregard for both the law and the community.

Bellingham’s Precedent: Melvin Brewing
When Melvin Brewing’s misconduct surfaced, this community acted, and the business was forced to close. 1-Up Lounge has now accumulated years of credible allegations without meaningful change. Why is this business still operating under the same ownership?

Our Call to Action!

We demand that 1-Up Lounge and Cardhaven obtain all new ownership or shut their doors for good!

Until then, the community should boycott 1-Up Lounge and Cardhaven!
 
How You Can Help
Share your experiences — here, on Reddit, or privately via Bham Solidarity Collective on Instagram or email gwen75139@gmail.com.

File complaints with:
WA Attorney General
Liquor and Cannabis Board
Labor and Industries

Consider legal action, including potential class claims for wage theft, harassment, and retaliation!
 
Final Note
Many who’ve spoken out have been harassed. But anonymity does not erase truth — and the testimonies, admissions, and now internal documents speak for themselves.

Bellingham deserves safe, accountable businesses. If 1-Up Lounge will not change ownership and culture, it should close.