Politician Who Owns Smith Street Lounge, Site of Shooting, Said He Didn’t Know He Needed a Permit

Politician Who Owns Smith Street Lounge, Site of Shooting, Said He Didn’t Know He Needed a Permit

Cranston City Councilman, who owns and operates Paris Bistro on Smith Street in Providence, told GoLocal he was unaware he needed a permit to operate an outdoor patio serving food and liquor. 

A GoLocal report on Tuesday reported that the club did not have the proper permits.

The outdoor patio was the site of an argument that ultimately led to a shooting on Smith Street. A man was shot twice and hospitalized. No one has been arrested for the shooting.

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On Monday, the Providence Board of Licenses closed the club until Thursday.

Councilman Andy Andujar tells GoLocal, “I was under the impression, expansion licenses were for sidewalk/ street sitting. I was notified this AM about my error. I take full responsibility for not following the ordinance.”

He claims he did not build the outdoor covered patio. 

“I purchased the business, and the building. I did not build anything. But if you research ROOF 22-885, the former owners pulled a permit for a patio roof. On 12/12/2022,” said Andujar. Prior to Andujar's ownership, the club entered receivership.

 

City Councilor, State Worker, Real Estate Developer, Club Owner

In addition to his role as a member of the Cranston City Council and a club owner, Andujar also works for the state of Rhode Island’s Department of Labor and Training. His annual salary is just over $90,000, according to state records.
 

And, he owns a real estate development company, 2639 CAPITAL INVESTMENTS LLC, which owns and operates real estate. He has close political ties to many of the state's top politicians.  Andujar has held a number of political jobs, including chief of staff to the then-mayor of Central Falls, James Diossa, and served on the staff of then-Providence Mayor David Cicilline for eight years.

“I did not improve the patio. It was there I operated the patio in error, as I said in my first comment,” added Andujar.

 

Numerous Incidents

Sunday night’s was just the latest in a series of violent incidents. In March, five people were arrested at the club on a range of charges.

And in May of 2024, a security guard and an employee were shot at while leaving Paris.

About the 2024 Incident

Police responded to a report of shots fired at Paris Bistro shortly after 2 AM Monday morning, GoLocal reported.

A security guard told police he was taking an employee to her car after work, and when they went to leave, they encountered a man with a gun outside.

The suspect reportedly fired shots toward the two individuals before fleeing the scene. 

According to police, bullet holes were found in the side of the restaurant, and multiple shell casings were located at the scene. That incident took place prior to Andujar's ownership.