Owner of Sandy Springs cafe cited for illegal after-hours club
Sandy Springs bar closed after double shooting
Sandy Springs police shut down Nubia Cafe and Lounge for operating without an alcohol license.
SANDY SPRINGS, Ga. - A Sandy Springs business has been shut down after police investigating a weekend shooting determined it was operating as an illegal after-hours establishment, authorities said.
PREVIOUS STORY: Police shut down Nubia Café after weekend shooting in Sandy Springs
What we know:
The Sandy Springs Police Department said Nubia Café and Restaurant, located at 8599 Roswell Road, Suite C1, was shut down following an inspection Tuesday by police, the Sandy Springs Fire Department and Code Enforcement.
Business owner Frank Lyonga was cited for multiple violations related to the operation of the establishment. Police said the business did not have required state licenses and city permits.
Shooting leads to investigation
The backstory:
The shutdown stems from an investigation into a shooting that happened around 5:43 a.m. on Saturday, Aug. 15.
Police said a physical altercation began inside Nubia Café and continued into the parking lot. During the confrontation, 28-year-old Bienvenu Deounoudjou allegedly shot a 34-year-old man multiple times.
The victim was shot in the arm and upper chest and taken to a hospital. Police said he was later released.
Deounoudjou also suffered what police described as an inadvertent gunshot wound to his leg. He was taken to a hospital for treatment before being arrested.
He was charged with aggravated assault and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony.
A Sandy Springs police officer affixes a notice to the Nubia Café and Restaurant located at 8599 Roswell Road on Aug. 19, 2026. (Sandy Springs Police Department)
Police say business was operating illegally
What they're saying:
People inside the venue said workers sold liquor bottles for $150 each during the illegal event.
Williams said, "The victim and his group were originally on Buford Highway around 2 a.m. when the bar they were in were going to close. One of them stated the owners of Nubia Cafe had invited them to the after-hours party. They stated there were 40-50 people inside and two females were serving bottles of liquor,".
As detectives continued investigating the shooting, police said they discovered the business was operating as an illegal after-hours establishment without the required state licenses and city permits.
Four days after the shooting, police, firefighters and Code Enforcement officials inspected the property.
Sandy Springs Detective JT Williams said, "The shooter had sustained injuries below the knee, shattering his bones and requiring surgery later in the day."
Following that inspection, Lyonga was cited for multiple violations and the business was ordered shut down because of the licensing and permitting issues.
Williams said, "Monday, we began looking at the establishment and we got with city hall and pulled th permits and noticed they only had a business license and did not have an alcohol license to serve alcohol."
Police said the enforcement action was part of the department's effort to address criminal activity and enforce regulations intended to protect public safety.
Williams said, "It's very dangerous because permits are there for regulations. You have to have a pouring permit and a permit to serve, and when you allow sales of liquor and other things up to 4, 5 in the morning, it's a recipe for disaster."
What's next:
Police shut down the venue because of the lack of permits. Owner Frank Lyonga now faces several city code violations.