HARTFORD, April 17 -- The Department of Consumer Protection is reporting the results of two compliance checks it recently conducted. On the evening of Saturday, April 6^th liquor agents from the Department’s Liquor Control Division and troopers assigned to the Troop D-Danielson Quality of Life Task Force partnered with youth trained by the Governor’s Prevention Partnership to conduct compliance checks in area towns.  Fifteen restaurants and bars that were open were tested for compliance. Of the fifteen premises tested, ten (10) failed by allegedly selling an alcoholic beverage to a minor. The stores that allegedly failed are:

• Hanks Restaurant-Brooklyn
• Classic Pizza-Brooklyn
• Brooklyn Pizza-Brooklyn
• Weidele’s Pizza and Pub-Sterling
• Raceway Restaurant-Thompson
• American Legion Post 67- Thompson
• Giant Pizza, Danielson
• Jade Garden Restaurant-Danielson
• Thai Basil-Danielson
• VFW Post 2650-Danielson

On the afternoon of Saturday, April 13^th Liquor Control agents and officers and detectives from the Stratford Police Department conducted a series of compliance checks in that town. Twenty-seven package stores and grocery stores that were open were tested for compliance. Of these, it is alleged that one store, Stratford and Surf Beverages, failed by selling to the volunteer minor trained and provided by the Governor’s Prevention Partnership.

“Compliance operations are consistently useful in helping us identify licensed or permitted locations that are selling alcoholic beverages to minors,” Consumer Protection Commissioner William M. Rubenstein said. He added that the compliance checks are not intended to hurt local businesses.

“Our goal is to find businesses that sell to minors and bring them into compliance with state liquor laws,” Rubenstein said.  “If the volunteer youth are asked their age before making a liquor purchase, they will hand over their actual ID, and tell their true age.”

These establishments are charged with selling liquor to a minor and will be scheduled for an administrative hearing before the Liquor Control Commission, at which time each will have the opportunity to address the charges.

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