Tilted Kilt in Elgin fined $1,600 for fighting, other incidents
The Elgin Liquor Control Commission fined Tilted Kilt $1,600 for various incidents and as part of the settlement, the restaurant agreed to stop staging mixed martial arts, boxing and other fighting contests within its doors.
Wednesday’s action comes nearly three months after the city leveled a complaint against the Celtic-themed bar and restaurant in July that cited a total of 16 incidents, including six fights between patrons on the premises from November 2010 through February 2011.
None of those incidents were in connection with the professional fighting held at the venue, City Corporation Counsel Bill Cogley said.
Tilted Kilt has been working with the city and responded by tightening and training its security staff to recognize when problems may arise.
As an example, it will be harder for people who drank too much elsewhere to get into the Tilted Kilt. As well, the wait staff has started asking rude customers to leave.
“Since then, things have improved dramatically,” Cogley said. “They took comprehensive steps to address some of the disorder there. The problem of fighting customers seems to have subsided.”
Meanwhile, the organized fights were on the schedule as recently as this week, Cogley said.
While Tilted Kilt’s license doesn’t specifically ban organized fighting, “We would prefer not to have these events at a licensed establishment,” Cogley said. Tilted Kilt was not fined for the professional fighting, which it organized in tandem with an Elgin-based promoter.
To avoid the fighting “gray area” in the future, the city, at commission member Tish Powell’s request, will draft language for future liquor licenses that clearly says professional fighting is not allowed on the premises.