More than 30 liquor licensees and servers gathered in the St. Charles City Council chambers on Wednesday afternoon to learn how to prevent alcohol-related problems from happening at their establishments.
At the meeting, Lee Roupas, a manager for the Illinois Liquor Control Commission, talked to licensees about how they could prevent underage sales and identify intoxicated patrons. Roupas also reviewed local and state liquor regulations.
“You have to have a sixth sense in this business,” Roupas said, emphasizing the importance of being alert and aware of your surroundings while running a liquor establishment. “It’s a privilege to have a liquor license. Hang onto it, protect it.”
Roupas is a manager for the liquor control commission’s Beverage Alcohol Sellers and Servers Education and Training (BASSET) program and travels around the state to educate local alcohol servers and sellers about alcohol management.
The meeting was the latest in a series of steps the city has taken over the last year to combat bar fights, disturbances, public urination and other alcohol-related problems in the downtown area.
Last month, the City Council amended the city code to define “intoxication” or “intoxicated” due to a disconnect in what the word meant.
“We are here to work with you, not against you,” St. Charles Police Chief James Keegan said to the audience. “If there’s issues address them at the forefront. Don’t wait for an issue to get out of hand.”
On Wednesday, Roupas shared a slew of examples about how others have identified underage drinkers and patrons who had been overserved.
He said one of the biggest problems he sees in the industry is that servers are not properly trained to card patrons. It’s not enough to check the birth date, Roupas said, and, in some instances, it’s better to ask for a secondary form of identification.
“Do whatever it takes. Protect your business, protect your livelihood,” Roupas said.
Keegan said that he would look into bringing Roupas back to St. Charles to conduct a training class for licensees and their employees later this year. Under city code, all servers are required to be certified through the BASSET program.
“Take what you learned today, take the material, share it with your staff,” Keegan said.
