Bar fined $5,000 for alcohol violations

A Washington bar has been fined US$5,000 for violating three Alcoholic Beverage Regulation Administration rules.

A Washington bar has been fined US$5,000 for violating alcohol legislation

The Alcoholic Beverage Control Board fined Da Luft Restaurant and Lounge for not having an ABC Board approved manager present while selling alcoholic drinks.

In addition, the venue failed to produce their business records and licences to an ABRA investigator and also did not keep a record of incidents when police were called to the bar.

An ABRA investigator visited the bar on 19 March to speak with an employee who claimed to be an ABRA licenced manager, but was unable to show the inspector when requested to do so.

All managers are required to keep their licences with them at all times.

A few days later, the employee sent a photo of his licence to the investigator, but the licence number was in fact for a different employee and had been altered in the photo.

An additional US$500 was added to the fine because there was no licenced manager present while alcohol was being served, and a further US$500 was slapped on to the fine because the bar and lounge refused to provide written records of when police had been called to handle incidents at the bar.

Da Luft has 30 days to pay the fine or its alcohol licence will be temporarily revoked.

In April this year, the venue had its licence suspended for several days following a fight that saw a police officer assaulted and a bystander injured when a fracas inside the bar fell out into the street.