Four businesses fined for alcohol violations
By ELENA GRIMM – egrimm@daily-chronicle.com
DeKALB – Four businesses that serve or sell liquor were fined $750 each on Wednesday, plus court reporter and attorney fees, for violating the city’s liquor code.
Molly’s Eatery & Drinkery, 1022 W. Lincoln Highway, promoted a “rail special,” during which patrons could pay $25 for nine draft beers. The promotion sold the beer at a discounted rate, compared to what patrons would pay if the beers were bought individually. The promotion violated happy hour laws, City Attorney Norma Guess said at Wednesday’s liquor commission hearing.
The matter was brought to the city’s attention by “private citizens,” Guess said.
Owner Tom Murphy agreed to raise the cost of Molly’s rail special to match the regular rate and to nix all other rail specials from the menu.
The drink special has been at tradition at Molly’s for at least 15 years, before Murphy bought the business, and it also is the first violation since he became the owner.
“We just inherited it,” he said. “We never looked at individual purchase discrepancies.”
Pizza Hut, Los Rancheros and Osco Drug were fined for letting minors buy alcohol during an April 23 police sting of the state’s liquor control commission.
At Pizza Hut, 701 W. Lincoln Highway, the server asked two underage operatives for their IDs, which they showed, and then served alcohol to them.
“What amazes me the most is that the server asked for IDs and received IDs,” said Paul Tanzillo, an attorney representing the company. “She did everything she was supposed to do, except recognize they had red-backed licenses.”
Driver’s licenses for people under age 21 have a red header identifying them as being under 21. This is Pizza Hut’s second violation; its first was in 2007.
Two underage operatives also ordered drinks, were carded and served at Los Rancheros, 2350 Sycamore Road, Guess said. It was the restaurant’s first violation.
When Mayor Kris Povlsen, who is also the liquor commissioner, asked for details of Los Rancheros’ policy for checking IDs, manager Jose Lopez Jr. said they card “most of the time,” but will set a more stringent policy now.
A minor working for the police bought a six-pack of beer from Osco Drug, 1322 Sycamore Road. This is the store’s third violation since 2003, Guess said.
Company representative Connie Zaio said that software is in place to scan ID cards for alcohol purchases, but the cashier instead did the calculations – incorrectly – in his head. The cashier was suspended and retrained on the software and policy.
“We’ve paid all this money into software,” Zaio said. “To ask for that ID and not do that last step, it’s very frustrating.”
