A Clarendon nightlife spot has been declared unfit for occupancy over safety issues.
Notices prohibiting activity at Coco B’s and the B Live site — formerly home to the longtime local bar Whitlow’s — were posted last week at 2854 Wilson Blvd.
“The structure was declared unsafe due to the sprinkler and fire alarm systems not working,” county spokesperson Elise Cleva said. “To reopen, Coco B’s must resolve these and several other building safety issues identified by County inspectors.”
A stop work notice pertaining to “construction, alterations or repairs” is also posted on the door to Coco B’s. It references building code violations involving permits and inspections.
The status of neighboring B Live, meanwhile, remains somewhat unclear.
The business’s windows were covered up this summer as the space was listed for sale or lease. However, as of this morning, most of the site’s windows were uncovered.
While the business’s website is down, its signage is still outside and stools and balloons can be seen inside.
An agent for the landlord, NREB, confirmed that space has been leased — but he wouldn’t say to whom. B Social Hospitality, the owner of both Coco B’s and B Live, did not respond to a request for comment.
The sister businesses opened in summer 2023 following the closure of Whitlow’s, a tiki bar that had occupied the building since 2010. Coco B’s and B Live were intended to complement each other, co-owners Mike and Christal Bramson told ARLnow.
“If you think of B Live as the male version of the two of us, then Coco B’s is the female version … the his and hers,” Christal Bramson said in 2023.
B Live was designed as a “divey beach bar popup” with a “summer fling theme” featuring local bands and karaoke. Meanwhile, Coco B’s — which has both an indoor component and a rooftop bar — is a “tropical glam bar” with pink chandeliers, clamshell chairs, tropical cocktails and Caribbean foods.
In recent months, Coco B’s has been subject to numerous zoning complaints, with neighbors accusing the bar of playing loud music that can be heard for blocks around and hosting unauthorized DJs.
B Social Hospitality has operated a number of notable Arlington restaurants and watering holes over the years, including Clarendon Ballroom, Roll’d in Ballston Quarter and, formerly, Pamplona and The Lot in Clarendon.
