Liquor Commission Fines 6 Businesses for Selling Alcohol to Underage Customers

Six Arlington Heights business cited for selling alcohol to underage agents were fined, and in some cases ordered to stop liquor sales for a time during a liquor commission hearing on Monday.

The businesses fined include:

• Golf Liquors, 606 East Golf Road   Fined $400 plus costs.

• Javier’s Sabor Restaurant, 8 West Miner Street   Fined $1,000.

• JD’s Q & Brew, 284 W. Rand Road Fined $400 plus costs.

• La Roca Tapas, 6 South Dunton Avenue Fined $300.

• Meg’s Liquors, 1041 S. Arlington Heights Fined $200.

• Red Rooster Liquor Store, 827 North Wilke Road Fined $600.

Javier’s Sabor Restaurant also was given a seven-day suspension of its liquor license and Red Rooster Liquor Store was given a two-day suspension.

The village’s Liquor Commission, headed by Mayor Arlene Mulder, held a hearing this week. Fines and punishment were based on whether there were past violations or not, said Diana Mikula, assistant to the village manager.

Another factor is what businesses have done to mitigate the situation, like providing additional training for employees, Mikula said.

Arlington Heights Police Officer Robert Kostka said 97 businesses were checked in 2012. There were only the five violations out of those businesses, he said. The sixth business was cited after police received a tip the store was not checking identification, he said.

The goal is to maintain a transparent compliance program, and there is no effort to deceive a business, Kostka said. Four underage people are hired for the summer to be liquor compliance agents employed by the village. Agents try to buy alcohol with an Illinois state ID, he said. If agents are questioned by anyone about their age, they tell the truth, he said.

Police want to make sure employees are educated and checking identification, Kostka said, and provide businesses with in-house educational materials.

There has been a steady decline in the number of violations issued, from a high of 11 in 2010, he said.

“We’ve seen peaks and valleys over the last three years,” Kostka said. “I would hope that we’ll continue to trend down in the number of violations.”