On September 22, 2026, the Arlington County Board voted to deny a live entertainment permit for Big Tony’s, a pizza restaurant and bar in Clarendon. If approved, the permit would have allowed Big Tony’s to conduct live DJ entertainment, including karaoke. We the undersigned feel that the Board’s decision was unfair and constitutes undue retaliation against an establishment that provides an overwhelmingly positive contribution to Arlington's nightlife, and is actively trying to comply with zoning regulations.

Board members argue that Big Tony’s cannot not be trusted to operate live entertainment given its zoning violations over the past year. We do not deny that Big Tony’s did, in fact, violate Arlington zoning regulations by operating karaoke on several occasions, even after being issued an initial citation. Rather, we disagree that denying Big Tony’s a live entertainment permit is a reasonable response, given the following points:

• Big Tony’s only violation has been its lack of a live entertainment permit. Based on the information shared in the Board meeting, Big Tony’s has not had any other issues such as noise complaints, overcrowding, opening at unauthorized hours, etc., and has been compliant with all other Arlington laws. Therefore, it does not make sense for the Board to claim that Big Tony’s would continue to be noncompliant if issued a permit. The permit would solve the singular compliance issue that the restaurant has faced.
  
  
• Concerns about Big Tony's willingness to comply with regulations feel overblown given the facts and circumstances described during the meeting. The restaurant applied for a permit shortly after receiving its first violation. There seems to have been genuine confusion over the approval process - confusion which is frankly understandable after listening to the Board attempt to piece together how things went awry. Board members also acknowledged that the permit approval timeline is burdensome on businesses in the restaurant industry. While none of these circumstances change the fact that Big Tony’s did violate zoning ordinances, the portrayal of the establishment as having no interest in compliance and being “untrustworthy” is unwarranted given this context.
  
  
• The zoning ordinance provides for fines as the consequence for violations - it does not state that an establishment that violates the ordinance is thereby barred from obtaining future permits. Big Tony’s was fined for their violations and has paid those fines in full. Denying Big Tony's an opportunity to obtain the necessary permit would impose an additional penalty - one that the ordinance does not prescribe - rather than helping bring them into compliance.
  
  
• Lastly, granting a permit does not constitute the Board’s last opportunity to ensure that Big Tony’s complies with regulations. If the restaurant should in fact violate other zoning ordinances, the Board can vote to revoke the permit. It is nonsensical to refuse a the permit on the basis that future violations might hypothetically occur, especially given that - again - Big Tony’s only violation has been the lack of said permit.

At one point during the Board meeting, member Julius Spain remarked that “if we don’t follow our rules, then what good is it to have them?”  We ask: If we don’t allow businesses to obtain permits, then what good is it to have permits?

As community members present at the meeting expressed, Big Tony’s has been an invaluable “third place” to many of us. More than any other bar in Arlington, it has felt extremely safe and welcoming, especially for the LGBTQ+ community.  It draws a friendly and diverse crowd, and is staffed by employees who truly care about their patrons.

In light of these points and the level of support from the community, we urge the Board to reconsider its decision as soon as possible and allow Big Tony’s to resume karaoke nights. This could come in the form of a temporary permit with additional limitations to ensure that no new compliance issues arise before granting a full permit. The bar's owners indicated at the meeting that they would be more than happy with such an arrangement.

For more information,  please see the following sources:

• Board meeting video and agenda (discussion of Big Tony's runs from approximately 4:25:00 to 5:43:00)
• ARLNow article (written prior to the meeting)