Geneva businesses apologize for serving beer to minor
Owners of three Geneva businesses apologized Thursday and admitted fault for selling beer to an underage woman during a liquor code compliance check June 27.
Representatives of the Little Owl pub, Caboose’s Bar and Grill and SavWay Fine Wines and Spirits spoke at liquor commission hearings before Mayor Kevin Burns, who is also the liquor commissioner.
“It’s terrible; it’s unfortunate. I have two daughters of my own, and I don’t ever want them to be served underage,” said Nick Giachino, owner of Caboose’s.
The three places are accused of selling beer to a 19-year-old woman working as an undercover civilian agent for the police department.
Geneva police reported that in all three cases, an employee asked for identification, looked at it, then sold the beer to her.
The identification presented was a driver’s license. It was vertical, the kind issued to people younger than 21, marked with the date the girl would turn 21.
John Arbizzani, general manager of the Little Owl, said he was particularly perturbed because he had reminded all employees that the check was coming, and reminded them to always obey the law. He personally told the bartender involved.
Arbizzani told Burns he sent an email to all staff after the incident, writing, “I would like to think I could trust my staff and not be at the business from start to close to baby-sit my staff. ... I assure you, we are not in the business of serving minors.” The bartender was fired.
Mary Claire Malloy, vice president of SavWay, asked Burns to only fine it. The police department’s prosecuting attorneys recommended that the business’s lack of violations and longtime presence in the community be considered as mitigating factors. The store is a sponsor of the Festival of the Vine, Malloy said, and a regular contributor to local charitable causes.
“I’m here to plead for leniency,” she said.
Burns has five days to announce his decisions. In similar circumstances, the prosecuting attorneys have recommended a $1,000 fine and a one-day suspension for a first offense. Licenses can be suspended for up to 30 days, or revoked.
The city warns all license-holders of the annual check, which is done during the Swedish Days festival.
The Little Owl was fined and suffered a one-day suspension in 2007. Caboose’s was cited in 2008, when it was under different ownership.
Giachino said after the latest incident he bought a scanner that reads the bar code on licenses to check for age. Employees have been told that if they don’t use the scanner they will be fired, and that if the scanner doesn’t work, they are not to sell alcohol. The bartender involved was not fired.
“A beer sale does not mean that much to us compared to violating the law,” he said.