Lincoln’s Sports Grille on South Illinois Avenue is pictured above. (File photo)
A city board on Thursday could consider revoking or suspending beer permits, or levying fines, on a restaurant and local organization that have previously had their permits suspended and sold beer or alcohol to a minor during a state sting in June, officials said.
The two businesses, Lincoln’s Sports Grille and Oak Ridge Moose Lodge #1316, are among five that sold beer or alcohol to a minor during a compliance check by the Tennessee Alcoholic Beverage Commission in June, officials said. The Oak Ridge Beer Permit Board plans to have show cause hearings for all five.
Thursday’s special meeting will be the fifth show cause hearing for Lincoln’s and the second for Moose Lodge, according to the Beer Board agenda.
Lincoln’s sold beer, a 16-ounce Bud Light, to a 19-year-old on June 9 after checking the person’s identification, according to the TABC records. It’s the second violation at Lincoln’s for sale to a minor by the TABC, the Beer Board agenda said, and the case is still pending.
Meanwhile, the Moose Lodge sold alcohol, a mixed drink vodka cranberry, to a 19-year-old on June 26 after checking ID, the state records said. It’s also the second violation at Moose Lodge for sale to a minor by the TABC, the Beer Board agenda said. Moose Lodge paid a $2,000 civil penalty for the violation and agreed to a 15-day suspension of their liquor-by-the-drink license. That suspension was in effect from July 13-27.
The Beer Board can revoke or suspend a beer permit during a show cause hearing. The board can also accept a civil penalty in lieu of a suspension. The maximum civil penalty is $2,500 per violation for selling beer to a minor, and $1,000 for all other offenses.
During a show cause hearing, the business is allowed to explain to the board why “negative action should not be taken against the beer permit.”
TABC Special Agent Derrick Dalton will be at the hearing to answer board questions.
The alleged violation at Lincoln’s occurred the same day the Beer Board agreed to suspend Lincoln’s beer permit for two weeks, starting June 10, in a 4-3 vote. During that meeting, Beer Board members said they weren’t satisfied with the remediation plan presented by Lincoln’s following a May show cause hearing after an April fight at the restaurant and bar.
Lincoln’s also faced a one-week beer permit suspension in September 2013 for selling beer to a minor in March, but the suspension was lifted after the business proved that all servers and bartenders had received TABC certification. Lincoln’s paid a $1,500 fine in May 2013, according to state records.
No action was taken against Lincoln’s during two other show cause hearings, one in March 2013 and the other in December. Concerns in those hearings included reports of a fight or disturbance and two arrests for public intoxication.
The previous show cause hearing for Moose Lodge, held in October 2013, was called after the March sale of beer to a minor during a state compliance check. That show cause hearing led to a seven-day beer permit suspension in October.
The Thursday meeting starts at 6 p.m. in the Oak Ridge Municipal Building Courtroom. See the agenda here.
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