A popular downtown Ocala restaurant and club has been temporarily shut down by the city following a series of code enforcement inspections that revealed overcrowding, unpermitted assembly areas, and illegal structural alterations.
The Lodge Ocala Pub & Eatery, located at 36 S Magnolia Avenue, officially received a “dangerous structure” posting on Wednesday, July 1. The posting was applied to the building following reviews and documentation provided by a city project manager and an engineer.
The city’s investigation into the establishment began on June 9, when the Ocala Police Department and Ocala Fire Rescue Fire Marshal reported an excessive number of patrons at the venue over the preceding weekend.
According to code enforcement records, more than 330 patrons were counted inside the business, which is well above the building’s approved occupancy limit.
The severe overcrowding prompted a meeting the following morning between the city’s Building Department, Ocala Fire Rescue, the Ocala Police Department, and Code Enforcement. During the meeting, officials raised questions regarding whether the building’s second and third floors were legally permitted for assembly use under the existing Certificates of Occupancy.
On June 17, Project Manager and Building Inspector Greg McClellan and Code Enforcement Supervisor Jennipher Buller visited the property and were granted access by the business owner, Johnny Sanchez. During the walk-through, officials observed bar and seating areas on both the second and third floors, which Sanchez acknowledged were being used to host customers.
The additional floors above the Lodge Ocala Pub & Eatery have been used in recent years for Loft on the Square and the Anti-Monopoly Drug Store. All three businesses were purchased by Sanchez and his wife, Rachael, in 2024.
Inspector McClellan informed Sanchez that the business would need a formal “Change of Occupancy” permit, as city records indicate the upper floors were only approved for office or storage use, not for assembly.
The most significant safety concern arose while the group was inspecting the first floor. According to the report, inspectors discovered that four support posts and additional structural beams had been replaced, altered, or relocated from their original positions.
The report notes that this structural work appeared to have been performed completely without the required permits.
Following the inspection, the city mailed a Notice of Violation and Notice of Public Hearing to the business and the property owner, Satnam Singh of Singh & Sons Properties LLC.
Initially, on June 18, the city ordered the establishment to keep the second and third floors completely vacant until the proper permits were secured. At that time, the business was allowed to remain open only on the first floor while strictly adhering to its allowed occupancy rate.
On June 25, Singh contacted code enforcement to confirm that the upper floors were no longer in use and that he was actively working with a company to obtain the necessary permits and correct the outstanding violations.
Despite these initial corrective steps, the ongoing structural concerns ultimately led the city to escalate the matter.
On July 1, based on further engineering and inspection reviews, the building was officially posted as a dangerous structure, temporarily shutting down operations until the property is made safe.
What are your thoughts on the matter? Share them in a comment below or a letter to the editor.