One of 14 businesses checked for alcohol compliance by Grand Forks Police failed last week.
An Applebee’s employee served alcohol on June 20 to a customer who was less than 21 years old, according to a news release issued Wednesday. The youth was sent into the restaurant by the Grand Forks Police Department as part of an alcohol compliance check.
Applebee’s was the only establishment that failed the checks, but it was the first time the restaurant has failed since 2000, Police Cpl. Tim Schuh said.
The department typically conducts checks four times a year -- some include officers going into businesses to monitor server practices, while others use underage customers to test servers, Schuh said. Last year, police checked 21 businesses that serve alcohol, and only one failed.
“The whole idea of these checks is to keep alcohol out of the hands of children,” he said.
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A server who fails the compliance check is cited, he said, and if it’s the establishment’s first violation, it is given a warning letter and is offered training to prevent further occurrences.
It’s very important to Applebee’s to make sure alcohol is being served responsibly and being kept away from underage drinkers, said Bret Yaeger, area director for Applebees in eastern North Dakota. It complies with Grand Forks City Code that requires servers who serve alcohol to complete a server training class.
The franchise also requires its servers to complete a responsible service of alcohol program, Yaeger said. Each restaurant has an up-to-date book on driver licenses from all states and goes over daily the date a person has to be older than to buy alcohol, he added.
“We are going to continue to educate our staff on the responsible service of alcohol,” he said.
