State documents show the Irish Embassy Pub’s liquor license was revoked for 10 days for serving liquor to an employee and refusing to let law enforcement inside early on New Year’s Day.
The pub, at 900 Main Ave., shut down Monday and will remain closed until Dec. 5 as part of an agreement with the state licensing authority.
Documents from the Colorado Department of Revenue show the licensing authority alleges that on New Year’s Day 2013, the Irish Embassy Pub served liquor to an employee who then was 20 years old.
It alleges the Irish Embassy also unlawfully distributed liquor between 2 and 7 a.m.
It also says that pub employee Aaron Schenk refused to let police officers on the premises.
In a news release Friday announcing the pub’s closure, the pub’s owners and manager apologized to the community.
“We’re not perfect. We’ve spent the last 5½ years trying to be an integral part of Durango, and we feel like we need to make an apology to the town,” said Irish Embassy owner Michael Graham, on behalf of owner Jerry Hembury and manager Phil Brennan.
Contacted by phone, Graham, who was in San Diego, said the Irish Embassy Pub months ago fired the employee accused of underage drinking.
Schenck remains with the pub.
Graham said the pub would treat the closure as an opportunity, using it to redecorate, clean and train staff in both food and alcohol.
He said the Irish Embassy’s owners had decided to accept the closure in settlement with the Colorado licensing authority because he’d heard different stories from staff about the incidents on New Year’s Day.
“Our game is alcohol, entertainment and food. And we do this all over the country: We take liquor professionalism very seriously. It’s not acceptable going forward,” he said in the phone interview Monday.
Daria Serna, spokeswoman with the Colorado Department of Revenue, said that according to terms of the settlement agreement, the Irish Embassy Pub did not have to close; it merely had to stop serving alcohol for the 10-day period.
She said in such circumstances, many bars decide to close their whole operations because they can’t afford to pay staff and bills with revenue from food sales.
cmcallister@durangoherald.com
