ALBANY – An emergency meeting of the New York State Liquor Authority (SLA) on Thursday has resulted in the immediate “Emergency Summary Order of Suspension” of the liquor license for P&G’s Restaurant on Main Street in New Paltz. The suspension is the result of a multi-agency raid of the bar last Friday night, March 15.
SLA investigators were undercover on Friday at 9 p.m. when, according to the SLA attorney, they observed “200 young-looking patrons” in the bar while security was not checking IDs at the door. Additionally, according to the investigators, the bartenders were not checking the ID of the patrons before selling them alcohol.
At 10 p.m. that night, additional SLA investigators arrived along with members of the Ulster County Sheriff’s Office and NYS DMV investigators. Law enforcement allowed every patron with a valid ID to leave, resulting in approximately 80 departures.
After reading an abbreviated list of violations committed by the owners and staff of P&G’s, SLA General Counsel Shannon Kearney Sarfoh recommended the suspension, noting that the investigation into the premises is ongoing. SLA Chair Lily Fan and Commissioner Edgar De Leon voted in favor of the suspension, which prohibits the bar from selling alcohol immediately.
The chairwoman and the commissioner consider the consumption of alcohol by minors to be a threat to public safety. In the past two years, three patrons were charged with DWI after leaving P&G’s, with one of the arrested being 18 years old.
The issues and violations that Sarfoh cited from the most recent raid are:
- Selling Jell-O shots that were premixed with vodka in violation of ABC law.
- Investigators observed eight minors purchase alcohol, including multiple pitchers of beer.
- Security was only checking IDs infrequently, with the assistance of a flashlight rather than Intellicheck ID scanners.
- Two of the eight minors were 18 years old.
Thirty-three underage patrons signed statements admitting to purchasing alcohol from the bartenders on March 15. In total, 63 minors admitted to purchasing or consuming alcohol on the premises that night. Fourteen patrons were issued appearance tickets by the Ulster County Sheriff’s Office for possessing fake IDs. “This is not unexpected given that security guards, when they do decide to look at someone’s ID at the door, they use a flashlight,” General Counsel Sarfoh said. “This licensee is not even trying to prevent alcohol sales to minors.”
At the time of the raid last week, the listed principals Michael Beck Jr. and Christen Beck were not on the premises. The previous licensee, Michael Beck Sr. was onsite and immediately called his attorney who responded right away, according to the SLA.
There is a lengthy history of violations at the premises including a recent brawl involving 100 people that required several police agencies to restore peace.
P&G’s did not answer the phone on Thursday afternoon when Mid-Hudson News called seeking a response to the suspension.
