Wednesday, September 11, 2002
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Wednesday, September 11, 2002 |
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Fayetteville businesses fined for alcohol violations
By MONROE
ROARK
An undercover police operation that began two months ago in Fayetteville concluded last week when nine businesses were cited by the City Council for selling alcohol to minors. The Police Department set out in early July to see that the city's alcohol license ordinance was being followed by the 46 businesses in the city that operate under it. Officers found that 29 of those establishments did not have employees properly displaying their alcohol permits, and nine businesses sold alcohol to an undercover operative under the age of 21, Chief Johnny Roberts said in his report to the council. Five of those nine Cobblestone Amoco, Eckerd on North Glynn Street, Pizza Hut, Pit Stop on North Glynn Street, and Kwickie/Flash Foods were cited during a similar operation in 1999, Roberts said, although Eckerd, Pizza Hut and Cobblestone Amoco were under different licensees at that time. The other establishments cited for this operation were Applebee's, Publix, Ruby Tuesday and Texaco Food Mart on North Glynn Street. All nine were issued $1,000 fines by the City Council, with all but two receiving a warning. The Eckerd location's license was suspended for 90 days, and Pizza Hut received a 15-day suspension, with a requirement that the restaurant show proof of stronger measures to educate employees about serving alcohol to keep the suspension from being extended to 30 days. "We take this very seriously," said Mayor Kenneth Steele, a comment that was echoed repeatedly by council members as representatives of each business came to plead their case before the council. No one objected to the recommended fines and penalties. Council members questioned each business representative extensively at the meeting and the previous work session about their policies concerning how employees are trained with regard to the city's alcohol license.
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