ABC suspends Pura Vida permits after Greensboro raid, drugs, guns found

Pura Vida Cocktail Bar and Restaurant on South Elm Street lost its alcohol permits after a Greensboro raid turned up more than 172 grams of cocaine, more than 25 grams of methamphetamine, two firearms and more than $10,000 in cash. The move leaves the downtown venue open for now, but unable to sell or serve alcohol, a major blow for a business built around nightlife traffic and a warning to nearby merchants whose evening sales depend on customer confidence.

The North Carolina Alcoholic Beverage Control Commission issued the summary suspension after an early Sunday operation by the Alcohol Law Enforcement Division, with help from the Greensboro Police Department, executed four search warrants. State officials said the investigation began in the fall of 2025 after numerous citizen complaints about Pura Vida at 221 S. Elm Street. ALE said agents identified trafficking activity involving employees and customers tied to the bar and to other locations around Greensboro outside business hours.

Investigators also said they uncovered a second illegal alcohol business at 3123 Cedar Park Road, Unit B, where alcohol was being sold without ABC permits. Along with the drugs and guns, agents seized drug paraphernalia, non-tax-paid liquor and malt beverages, evidence that the case reached beyond one bar and into a broader network of unlawful sales. In all, 11 people now face more than 150 charges, including cocaine trafficking, possession with intent to sell or deliver, maintaining a business used for controlled-substance violations and ABC violations.

The permit suspension is immediate under North Carolina law when regulators believe criminal activity on licensed premises threatens public safety, and no prior hearing is required. For downtown Greensboro, the effect lands quickly: a cocktail bar at the heart of South Elm Street can stay open, but it cannot legally do the alcohol business that drives the flow of patrons, tips and foot traffic for that block.

Ramos Restaurant Group LLC owns Pura Vida and also owns El Patio at 7810 Target Circle, Suite 101, in Raleigh. The Department of Public Safety said the investigation remains ongoing and additional charges are expected, leaving Pura Vida’s future, and the reputation of a key downtown address, unsettled for now.