| Author |
Message |
    
Joe R.
Citizen
Username: Ragnatela
Post Number: 340
Registered: 6-2004
| | Posted on Saturday, March 25, 2006 - 9:24 pm: | 
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Did the place get a liquor license recently? My 20 year old son went in this week with his girlfriend on open mike night and says a waitress asked him for proof and when he admitted he was only 20 and only wanted dessert and coffee, she told him he couldn't sit at a table. Could this be true? |
WendyP
Citizen
Username: Meandtheboys
Post Number: 3412
Registered: 12-2004
| | Posted on Saturday, March 25, 2006 - 9:49 pm: |
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Yup. |
susan1014
Supporter
Username: Susan1014
Post Number: 1445
Registered: 3-2002
| | Posted on Saturday, March 25, 2006 - 10:06 pm: |
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Sorry to hear that getting a liquor license has to translate to kicking out the underage. Coffeehouses are even rarer beasts than bars around here. Send 'em over to South Orange to the Goat next time! |
Soda
Supporter
Username: Soda
Post Number: 3672
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Saturday, March 25, 2006 - 10:53 pm: |
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But not to Bunny's...
 -s. |
Mayor McCheese
Supporter
Username: Mayor_mccheese
Post Number: 1070
Registered: 7-2004
| | Posted on Sunday, March 26, 2006 - 1:01 am: |
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Because Bunny's cares about underage drinking and the way that it could ruin their business?
If S.O.D.A. owned a bar it would go out of business very quickly because he has no care for the law.
A liquor license is nothing a business can joke about. It can either make a lot of money or cost you a lot of money. Did you know that having one underage person can cost the establishment up to $10,000?
Joe, try not to take this personally. It is a great place to go and hang out for a while; if you want a beer or coffee. However if they want to hang around long enough to be successful, I'm sure that they have to take some measures. |
susan1014
Supporter
Username: Susan1014
Post Number: 1446
Registered: 3-2002
| | Posted on Sunday, March 26, 2006 - 9:19 am: |
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Soda, I'd send them to Bunny's if they were looking for a place to have pizza and watch sports. But they were looking for coffee, dessert and an open mike night, hence the Goat.
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Joe R.
Citizen
Username: Ragnatela
Post Number: 341
Registered: 6-2004
| | Posted on Sunday, March 26, 2006 - 9:39 am: |
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Just because they have a liquor license doesn't mean you have to drink, right? They didn't proof him at the door, the waitress proofed him at the table and when he wasn't 21, wouldn't give him a table. They didn't ask him to leave the place, just give up the table. Are tables reserved for drinkers? I'm pretty sure he could go the St. James Gate and sit down with his girlfriend for a bite to eat, right? It is a place of public accomodation. Not happy about this. |
davidbuckley
Citizen
Username: Davidbuckley
Post Number: 505
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Sunday, March 26, 2006 - 10:08 am: |
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Joe:
I think that the proprietors are cool people and you should drop by and speak to them after informing yourself about the law.
Your point re Gate makes sense but these things are complicated because of our societal weirdness/intensity about alcohol. I think it's reasonable to be super-careful given above and new business.
They should interpret the law and their responsibilities accurately, however. Please let us know what you find out.
Be well, all.
David |
MHCLyons
Citizen
Username: Hamandeggs
Post Number: 232
Registered: 8-2005
| | Posted on Sunday, March 26, 2006 - 10:09 am: |
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At St James he could sit down, but not anywhere he chooses. He couldn't be at the bar, nor could he be on the bar side (I don't know about the window seat on the bar side.). So if, say, he went to watch sports, he would be limited there too, in terms of where to sit and watch the big tv behind the bar. (At least this is what we have experienced, and several times now.)
Perhaps Arts has a similar line of demarcation.
I know it's inconvenient, but in such a litigious society as ours right now, the owners have to be very careful. Sorry your son had a bad experience.
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davidbuckley
Citizen
Username: Davidbuckley
Post Number: 506
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Sunday, March 26, 2006 - 10:11 am: |
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Joe:
I think that the proprietors are cool people and you should drop by and speak to them after informing yourself about the law.
Your point re Gate makes sense but these things are complicated because of our societal weirdness/intensity about alcohol. I think it's reasonable to be super-careful given above and new business.
They should interpret the law and their responsibilities accurately, however. Please let us know what you find out.
I second the Goat too, really nice place.
Be well, all.
David |
Arthur Gartenlaub
Citizen
Username: Artg
Post Number: 76
Registered: 4-2004
| | Posted on Sunday, March 26, 2006 - 10:17 am: |
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Jot R.
I don't believe that either your son heard our waitress correctly or the saga was not tanslated accurately to you. The actuality is that we maintain a policy that no one under 21 can sit at the bar. I believe that your son and his girlfriend sat at one of our "high tables" in the dining area and each one had a mocha cappucino. I hope that they enjoyed themselves and that are certainly welcome to come back. It is accurate, however, and you can be assured that he will not be able to purchase any alcoholic beverages until he is 21, but he and his girlfriend are most welcome to enjoy our coffee, desserts, soft drinks, etc.
Thanks for helping me clarify the situation.
Art |
Joe R.
Citizen
Username: Ragnatela
Post Number: 343
Registered: 6-2004
| | Posted on Sunday, March 26, 2006 - 1:01 pm: |
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Art: I'll check his facts with him and I appreciate your response. He definitely was not in there to drink (otherwise he never would have related the story to me). It sounds like you remember him, so I'm hoping he wasn't a pain in the neck (young people can sometimes be zealous in asserting their "rights").
David: When I get to my law office tomorrow, I'll dust off a couple of law books and get informed, but my point was, of course an underage kid can't go to a bar and drink and I think it's compeletely reasonable to exclude them from bar areas, but they should be able to sit down outside of the bar area and get a bite to eat and a cup of coffee and enjoy the music. Art says he did sit in the dining area and had a good time. That's exactly the way it should be and if it turns out he sent me off on a wild goose chase, he'll rue the day he ever mentioned to me. |
Just The Aunt
Supporter
Username: Auntof13
Post Number: 4498
Registered: 1-2004
| | Posted on Sunday, March 26, 2006 - 1:43 pm: |
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Wow! This is just the type of exchange I wish the rest of the threads on MOL were like! |
Joe R.
Citizen
Username: Ragnatela
Post Number: 346
Registered: 6-2004
| | Posted on Sunday, March 26, 2006 - 8:34 pm: |
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Glad you enjoyed it! Stay tuned. |
Joe R.
Citizen
Username: Ragnatela
Post Number: 347
Registered: 6-2004
| | Posted on Monday, March 27, 2006 - 12:12 pm: |
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Post Script! I spoke with my son again. He came in on open mike night with his girlfriend and another couple. The place was crowded. A waitress approached and my son asked if she had a table (he could see that there seemed to be a couple of tables in the dining area open). She asked for ID. My son replied, "we don't want to drink, we just want some coffee and dessert". She apologized and told them she couldn't help them. Very polite, but not very helpful.
Art: My son was not the kid you remember who got a nice table in the dining area and had a cappucino and a good time. My son and his friends apparently got the door. Maybe the waitress was tired and and figured she didn't need to deal with another table of young people (admittedly, not big spenders), but from everything that I've heard about you and the place, I know this is not your philosphy and you would have handled it differently |
Arthur Gartenlaub
Citizen
Username: Artg
Post Number: 77
Registered: 4-2004
| | Posted on Monday, March 27, 2006 - 2:37 pm: |
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Joe R.,
Thanks for the update. Sorry about the confusion. We did have a fill-in waitress about two weeks ago and just maybe she was confused about out "seating policy". I apologize to your son and friends....next time, please make sure they introduce themselves, to me, and the coffee/soft drinks will be on the house.
Once again, thanks for pointing this out to me,
Art |
Joe R.
Citizen
Username: Ragnatela
Post Number: 349
Registered: 6-2004
| | Posted on Monday, March 27, 2006 - 2:48 pm: |
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Art: You are the best. You take the trouble to make it right. I know he'll be back, but I doubt he'll take you up on the peace offering. He just wants to be your customer. Thanks, again! |
Tom Reingold
Supporter
Username: Noglider
Post Number: 13239
Registered: 1-2003
| | Posted on Monday, March 27, 2006 - 4:11 pm: |
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Hey Art!  |
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