Agents cite 3 city bars
Margaret Hooper
Issue date: 4/24/08 Section: News
The Missouri Division of Alcohol and Tobacco Control conducted six compliance check investigations in Kirksville on Friday, issuing citations to three establishments.
Employees at Ruby Tuesday, Too Talls Two: The Inferno and Il Spazio were arrested, issued citations for sale of liquor to a minor and released on their own recognizance.
The establishments face possible fines and/or suspension of their liquor licenses, according to an ATC press release. Ruby Tuesday declined to comment on the incident, as did Too Talls Two owner Ken Page. Il Spazio owner Jeff Newton also was unavailable for comment.
Senior Pat Pisani, a bartender at Il Spazio, was working the night of the investigations. At the time he was cited, he was working by himself at the bar. He said he normally checks IDs, but when the bar is full, mistakes are easy to make.
"Every bartender's supposed to card, and I usually do, but as any bartender in the town will tell you, once it gets busy, sometimes you slip up because there's 50 to 100 people in there, and someone just looks old enough," Pisani said.
Pisani began working at Il Spazio in August and said this is his first time receiving a citation. Graduate student Jessica Reschly of Too Talls Two and Marcy Rolfs of Ruby Tuesday also received citations, according to an ATC press release.
Sophomore Nick Hopkins said he does not think any businesses in town are purposely negligent.
"I don't think anyone intentionally sells to minors," Hopkins said. "I do think people are intentionally [implementing] kind of a don't ask, don't tell policy because it's better for business."
Mike Schler, deputy supervisor of ATC, said the investigations Friday were part of routine checks conducted throughout the state. Schler said college towns are checked more often because of the high concentration of underage individuals who try to purchase alcohol.
"Compliance checks are a very effective way for us to do compliance work," Schler said.
Employees at Ruby Tuesday, Too Talls Two: The Inferno and Il Spazio were arrested, issued citations for sale of liquor to a minor and released on their own recognizance.
The establishments face possible fines and/or suspension of their liquor licenses, according to an ATC press release. Ruby Tuesday declined to comment on the incident, as did Too Talls Two owner Ken Page. Il Spazio owner Jeff Newton also was unavailable for comment.
Senior Pat Pisani, a bartender at Il Spazio, was working the night of the investigations. At the time he was cited, he was working by himself at the bar. He said he normally checks IDs, but when the bar is full, mistakes are easy to make.
"Every bartender's supposed to card, and I usually do, but as any bartender in the town will tell you, once it gets busy, sometimes you slip up because there's 50 to 100 people in there, and someone just looks old enough," Pisani said.
Pisani began working at Il Spazio in August and said this is his first time receiving a citation. Graduate student Jessica Reschly of Too Talls Two and Marcy Rolfs of Ruby Tuesday also received citations, according to an ATC press release.
Sophomore Nick Hopkins said he does not think any businesses in town are purposely negligent.
"I don't think anyone intentionally sells to minors," Hopkins said. "I do think people are intentionally [implementing] kind of a don't ask, don't tell policy because it's better for business."
Mike Schler, deputy supervisor of ATC, said the investigations Friday were part of routine checks conducted throughout the state. Schler said college towns are checked more often because of the high concentration of underage individuals who try to purchase alcohol.
"Compliance checks are a very effective way for us to do compliance work," Schler said.
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