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Mood Ring secures full liquor license for historic Los Angeles punk venue site

Mood Ring secures full liquor license for historic Los Angeles punk venue site

Money Moves Los Angeles, CA local

Liquor license in hand, Mood Ring posts job openings for its Chinatown venue at the former Hong Kong Cafe site

October 2026: Mood Ring LA posts job openings

Overview

Updated Oct 18

Mood Ring holds an active full liquor license for 425 Gin Ling Way in Chinatown, granted by California's Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control on September 30, 2026. The type 48 license allows beer, wine and spirits and expires August 31, 2027.

At the Chinatown Central Plaza site, the bar will take over a space once occupied by the punk venue Hong Kong Cafe. Stay Zero Proof, Los Angeles's first alcohol-free bar, and Realm also used the space. The website lists job openings, and no opening date has been announced.

Why it matters

A Brooklyn astrology bar is granted a full liquor license for a historic LA punk venue, replacing the space's alcohol-free run.

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Key Indicators

Type 48
ABC license class
Active through August 31, 2027; permits beer, wine and spirits for on-premises consumption.
2
Mood Ring venue
Planned Los Angeles location follows the Bushwick, Brooklyn original.
Live
Hiring status
moodringla.com lists job openings for the planned venue.

Voices

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People Involved

VL
Vanessa Li
Co-owner of Mood Ring
Listed as co-owner of the planned Los Angeles venue
 Bowen Goh
Bowen Goh
Co-owner of Mood Ring
Listed as co-owner of the planned Los Angeles venue
SP
Summer Phoenix
Co-founder of Stay Zero Proof
Former operator of the 425 Gin Ling Way venue, now closed

Organizations Involved

Mood Ring
Mood Ring
Hospitality brand (astrology-themed bar)
Holds an active type 48 ABC liquor license at 425 Gin Ling Way, set to expire August 31, 2027; job listings live on moodringla.com

An astrology-themed lounge and bar from Brooklyn, known for zodiac cocktails and immersive 1970s design.
Stay Zero Proof
Stay Zero Proof
Alcohol-free cocktail lounge (closed)
Former occupant of 425 Gin Ling Way

Los Angeles's first alcohol-free cocktail bar, opened by Summer Phoenix and Stacey Mann.
California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control
California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control
State regulatory agency
Issued the type 48 license to Mood Ring on September 30, 2026; it expires August 31, 2027

The state agency that licenses the sale of alcoholic beverages in California.

Timeline

December 1980 October 2026

4 events Latest: October 2026
Tap a bar to jump to that date

  1. Mood Ring LA posts job openings

    Latest Hiring

    The venue's website, moodringla.com, begins listing job openings. A site page describes the address as the historic Hong Kong Low building, once home to the Hong Kong Cafe.

  2. Mood Ring granted active liquor license

    Licensing

    California ABC records list an active type 48 license for Mood Ring at 425 Gin Ling Way, covering beer, wine and spirits. The license is set to expire August 31, 2027.

  3. Stay Zero Proof opens at Gin Ling Way

    Opening

    Los Angeles's first alcohol-free cocktail bar launched a preview night at the former Hong Kong Cafe site.

  4. Hong Kong Cafe hosts final punk show

    Cultural landmark

    The historic venue in Chinatown held its last beer-soaked punk show, ending its run as a cornerstone of Los Angeles punk.

Scenarios

1

Mood Ring LA Opens in Chinatown

Likely Resolves by End of 2026

Discussed by: WhatNow Los Angeles, which reported the venue could open sometime in 2026

Mood Ring LA opens to the public at 425 Gin Ling Way, serving an astrology-themed menu with beer, wine and spirits. The launch builds on the active liquor license and a planning filing describing a lounge with live entertainment and outdoor seating.

2

Mood Ring LA Opening Slips to 2027

Possible Resolves by Q2 2027

Discussed by: WhatNow Los Angeles, which noted no opening date had been announced

Construction, permitting or staffing issues push the launch past 2026. The venue holds its license but opens in the first half of 2027 instead.

3

Mood Ring LA Never Opens, License Lapses

Unlikely Resolves by End of 2027

Discussed by: Limited public discussion; hospitality venue closures are common in Los Angeles

The project stalls, and the ABC license at 425 Gin Ling Way is surrendered, revoked or allowed to lapse without the bar opening. The license is set to expire August 31, 2027. The historic site stays vacant or passes to another operator.

Historical Context

2 moments from history that rhyme with this story — and how they unfolded.

Late 1970s - December 1980

Hong Kong Cafe's Punk Scene (late 1970s-1980)

The Hong Kong Cafe in Los Angeles Chinatown became a cornerstone of the city's punk rock scene, hosting raucous, beer-soaked shows. Its final punk performance ran on New Year's Eve, December 31, 1980.

Then

The venue stopped hosting punk shows after 1980.

Now

The neon-lit space kept its history; decades later it housed other bars, including Stay Zero Proof.

Why this matters now

Mood Ring's planned venue at the same address trades on the site's punk legacy, keeping vintage punk photos and live entertainment in the concept.

December 2023

Stay Zero Proof Opens (2023)

Summer Phoenix and Stacey Mann opened Stay Zero Proof, Los Angeles's first alcohol-free cocktail bar, in a preview at 425 Gin Ling Way on New Year's Eve 2023. Beverage director Derek Brown crafted a zero-proof menu named for Chinese zodiac signs.

Then

The lounge became part of the zero-proof nightlife trend spreading through Los Angeles.

Now

Stay Zero Proof later closed, and the site's next tenant, Mood Ring, holds a license for full alcohol service.

Why this matters now

The shift from an alcohol-free lounge to a full-bar concept shows the same space changing hands and purpose.

Sources

(7)
+1
California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control WhatNow Los Angeles Eater Los Angeles Variety Mood Ring CurationsLA California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control