When police responded to an incident at the Worcester Beer Garden in September, they discovered and noted that safety checks had not been performed for several days, and that the liquor license displayed on the wall was long expired.
WORCESTER – After finding several violations, license commissioners on Thursday suspended the liquor license held by the Worcester Beer Garden.
The restaurant and bar at 64-66 Franklin St. must close for three Fridays in November, commissioners ruled, after ordering a seven-day suspension.
The remaining four days of the suspension will be held in abeyance unless there are additional violations in the future.
The measure came after Worcester police, investigating an alleged incident at the Beer Garden, discovered that crowd manager safety checks had not been logged for several days.
They also noted during their visit on Sept. 8 that the displayed liquor license had expired in 2022, Officer Patrick Harrington wrote in his report.
Worcester Police Sgt. Thomas Needham of the Alcohol Enforcement Unit said the problems have been compounded by the Beer Garden’s frequently changing managers, something Vice President Joseph Donovan tried to explain. The Beer Garden, he said, relies heavily on seasonal business. It features an outdoor patio and flings open its doors in good weather but in winter, the business “hibernates” with fewer patrons.
The seasonal nature creates a situation in which managers often leave.
Still, License Commission Chairman Anthony Vigliotti said the violations are “very serious” and could endanger the lives of patrons.
Harrington told Donovan and Director of Operations Adam Percoco that this was the third time a violation has been found during a compliance check.
“Unfortunately there’s been a history there,” Harrington said. “It’s a public safety risk. We take this very seriously.”
The Beer Garden was found to be operating without a manager not long ago, officials said.
Commissioners chose Nov. 3, 10 and 17 as the closure dates, with Vigliotti telling Donovan and Percoco, “It doesn’t pleasure us to have to do this.”
Kim Ring fell into journalism in the 1980s as a correspondent at the Telegram & Gazette and eventually left her initial career to pursue reporting full time. In her years of writing she has penned articles for several Massachusetts-based publications, taking a brief hiatus to work as chief of staff for a state representative. She can be reached at Kimringwrites@gmail.com
