Restaurant punished for defying orders

State seizes eatery’s liquor on Saturday after multiple notices

A Lyons restaurant that has continued to operate its indoor dining despite Level Red restrictions had its alcohol seized Saturday by state officials. The restaurant also received a summary suspension of its state liquor license, which is a temporary order to stop the sale of alcohol.

Suzi Karrer, a spokesperson for the Colorado Department of Revenue, said the state Liquor Enforcement Division of the Department of Revenue went to the The Lyons Den Restaurant & Taphouse in the afternoon to issue the summary and seize alcohol.

“The Lyons Den had ( received) multiple warnings from the local authorities about serving under the ( Level Red) public health order,” Karrer said. “They continued to operate.”

Karrer said she didn’t know how much alcohol was seized from the restaurant or how many officials responded. She said the business owners weren’t told in advance that the Department of Revenue would be coming to the restaurant for the seizure and summary issuance, but said the business had received numerous local and state warnings asking for compliance.

A spokesperson at The Lyons Den on Saturday said there will be “charges filed” and they “couldn’t speak on it yet.”

Since late November, The Lyons Den has received warnings from the Boulder County Sheriff’s Office and a warning of violations from Boulder County Public Health, asking that business owners comply with public health orders.

The county warning stated that the restaurant had violated numerous public health orders, including: failure to enforce the facial covering order; permitting dining and seating indoors while this activity is prohibited at Level Red; and serving food and drinks from the bar area while patrons are seated at the bar.

Despite the closure of indoor dining in restaurants under Level Red restrictions, Randall Yarbrough, a restaurant co- owner, told the Times- Call last week he was continuing to operate fully, because his business couldn’t survive on outdoor dining and curbside pickup orders.

“If I comply to this new level of shutdown, I might as well put a sign on the door that says, ‘ Closed for business,’ ” Yarbrough said Friday, before the state seizure.

The Boulder County Sheriff’s Office in late November contacted Yarbrough and issued him a summons and complaint into the state court for the violations.