Lehighton officials have received complaints in the short time since a new restaurant opened downtown.

The grievances are in response to the recently opened Pleasure Lounge Restaurant & Bar at 201 North First St.

“We have gotten some complaints on noise; the noise happening earlier in the morning,” said borough Manager Steve Travers. “We have our concerns for the building and for the operation of it; we’ve met with them.”

An argument that began at the restaurant ended with two people being injured during a shooting at another restaurant in Hazleton early Monday morning.

Travers said that “from a zoning standpoint, they (Pleasure Lounge Restaurant & Bar) are allowed to operate there,” but that as part of operating a restaurant and night club, “they have to adhere to all the other requirements, one of them being they have to have a liquor license.

“Our concerns are something along the lines of happening what happened there (Monday) morning. We are concerned.”

Travers added, “We do monitor social media with what’s going on at that building.

“There’s been concerns from Day One that we’ve tried to monitor because we did fear something like this would come about. A lot of people with alcohol late at night, early in the morning, you’re going to have that problem.”

The Pleasure Lounge is listed as being open for lunch and dinner from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.

Monday’s incident

Lehighton Police Chief Joe Sparich said police received a call at 5:12 a.m. Monday of a report of an alleged altercation at Pleasure Lounge Restaurant & Bar.

Sparich said police were aware an altercation had occurred, and then “kind of ended.” That was until police heard from Hazleton city that morning there was a shooting at the restaurant in Hazleton.

The shooting occurred at the Sazon Latino restaurant at 58 North Wyoming St. in Hazleton, which had just opened for breakfast.

Two people were hospitalized following the 6:20 a.m. shooting in Hazleton. One person suffered non-lifethreatening injuries, while the condition of the other person was unknown. Their names have not been released.

Sparich said borough police worked with Hazleton City Police to share details and whatever information they needed in assisting and identifying the suspects.

Brian Schoonmaker said two shooters were involved. One came in the restaurant shooting and the other returned fire from the restaurant.

No arrests have been made.