Restaurants fined for selling beer to minors

Germantown’s Board of Mayor and Aldermen adjourned and convened as the city’s beer board Monday to address three of the city’s restaurants selling beer to customers under 21.

Mellow Mushroom, Exline’s Pizza and Royal Panda had all been found to sell beer to underage customers. Matt Price, the city’s chief attorney, presented the matter to the board.

All three restaurants were found guilty by the board, and were charged a $500 civil fee in lieu losing or suspending the businesses’ licenses.

“There are options available to the board,” city administrator Patrick Lawton said Tuesday. “The board did what the prosecutor (Price) recommended.”

According to Price, Mellow Mushroom had put more training in place and terminated the employee who sold the beer.

Steve Meek, owner of Germantown Mellow Mushroom, said he has communicated with his staff a “zero-tolerance” policy and a corporate training is in place to help ensure this does not happen again.

Price called Exline’s sale of beer to an underage customer an “isolated incident.” Garrett Blatnik, president of Exline’s Pizza, stood before the board.

Alderman John Barzizza abstained from the Royal Panda votes noting that a “longtime friend” of his had sold the beer.

San Wu, owner of Royal Panda, also appeared before the board. Price noted, at the request of Alderwoman Mary Anne Gibson, that Wu appeared before the board for the same offense on Aug. 14, 2014.

According to Price, the beer was sold as result of a “math error.”

“I’m very sorry that this happened,” Wu said to the board.

Price said Wu’s attorney assured him the employee was disciplined and given training.

“Mr. Wu, I remember when you were here previously, and I felt very much heartfelt that you regretted the sale previously, and so what I want to make sure happens is that we don’t have to bring you back out here again and go through this again,” Alderman Forrest Owens said. “I’ll take Mr. Price’s word for it and your attorney’s word for it, that you guys have put in remedial actions ... there’s no way we will be able to as lenient the next time when you come before us.”

Lawton said the city and Germantown police department have a system with “safeguards in place” to keep those who sell alcohol in check.