CONCORD — The highly anticipated opening of a new boba tea shop in Concord on Sunday sparked concerns over crowd control after being advertised on social media. Instead of celebrating the launch of Milk Tea Lab on Clayton Road, owner Iyanni Muniz found himself facing threats from the police for inviting car enthusiasts to the event.
As a first-time business owner, Muniz understood the importance of spreading the word about his new venture. “We’re not a huge corporation, so we have to advertise to get our name out there,” he explained. “Social media is crucial in today’s world, and I have friends who help me network and spread the word.”
One of these friends posted an invitation on a TikTok site called “Bay Area Car Meets,” encouraging car owners to support the grand opening. However, this caught the attention of the Concord police, and Muniz claimed a lieutenant warned him of fines and ticketing for holding an “unpermitted event.”
“She came to my business to tell me this in person, saying it wasn’t going to happen,” Muniz recounted. “I explained that this was my grand opening and that we could still proceed without the car meet, as advised by my attorney. People are welcome to join us anytime.”
A week prior, Muniz discovered the large, empty parking lot adjacent to a long-shuttered Kmart had been cordoned off with caution tape and signs reading, “No Trespassing. No Unpermitted Events.”
“I found this setup and assumed it was done by the Concord police because of the wording ‘unpermitted events,'” Muniz said.
Despite this, at 11 a.m., the car meet that wasn’t a car meet began, attracting dozens of expensive vehicles and their young passengers, who filled the boba shop. Outside, car enthusiasts expressed little surprise at the law enforcement’s suspicions.
“People are often suspicious of things they don’t understand,” said Chris Vincent from El Sobrante. “For us in the car scene, it’s just like any other group activity—no different from a bowling league or a sports team.”
“It’s literally just a park-and-chill,” added car owner Cesar Reyes from Brentwood. “This isn’t rocket science. They should be able to see from the post that it’s not a sideshow. These gatherings never turn into sideshows.”
John Avila, Muniz’s friend who posted the online invitation, lamented the mischaracterization of car gatherings as illegal sideshows. “The way they approached us was rude and unprofessional,” he said.
Muniz insisted his goal was simply to ensure a successful opening in a long-quiet shopping center. “I want people to see that this can be a positive change,” he said. “In the end, everything will be fine.”
Indeed, thanks to social media, the store saw many new customers despite none having a permit to be there. By Sunday evening, Concord police clarified that the property owner had put up the signs and did not want the gathering to take place. Muniz, however, disputed this, stating the owner had no issues with the gathering until approached by the police.
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