FILE PHOTO - A Montana's location in Ontario is pictured in this Wikimedia photo.
Image Credit: WIKIMEDIA/Raysonho
August 07, 2024 - 6:00 PM
A Kelowna restaurant that served a 17-year-old a bottle of Corona at its bar has been stung with a $7,000 fine.
Montana’s Cookhouse and Bar was caught in a sting operation by the BC Liquor and Cannabis Regulation Branch whereby teens go into businesses and order alcohol.
According to an Aug. 2, BC Liquor and Cannabis Regulation Branch decision, the 17-year-old sat down at the bar and ordered a bottle of Corona beer.
"At no time did the Employee ask (the teen) for his identification to confirm that he was not a minor," the decision read.
After the teen had ordered the beer the liquor inspector, who was sitting nearby, then presented themselves to the bar staff to tell them they just served someone underage.
Montana's is the third bar to have been caught by liquor inspectors during a blitz that took place early this year.
The decision said Montana’s appealed the fine stating that while it admitted to serving the teen it had done its due diligence in training staff and this was just a one-off mistake.
The hostess who sat the 17-year-old at the bar testified that she always asked anyone who looked under 30 years old for two pieces of identification, but the bar was very busy that night and she was trying to help the bartender who was under pressure with drink orders.
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Four staff members testified in the appeal all stating that the bar was very diligent in asking for identification and that staff had to access a workplace app to keep everyone up to date.
However, the liquor branch wasn't convinced.
The liquor board said there was no incident logbook or documents for staff members to be aware of current best practices, and there was no secret shopper program or other forms of testing for staff.
It said there was too much reliance on the app, which the bar couldn't be sure staff were using.
"There does not appear to be any staff training manual, training checklist, written quizzes or ongoing communication with staff members to remind them of best practices and to remind them of the harm that the consumption of alcohol does to minors as being the reasoning behind the prohibition on the sale or service of alcohol to minors," the decision read.
"There are no checkpoints, stickers, or posters at the point-of-sale systems to remind the Licensee’s staff of the requirement to ask for identification."
The liquor branch said the restaurant had a "perfect record over a long period" but nonetheless issued a $7,000 fine for serving the teen a beer.
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