Denial of liquor license draws support from other Cape establishments, younger patrons

The Cape Girardeau City Council's denial of a liquor license to the owner of Margarita Mama's has the support of other establishments that serve alcohol as well as some of the community's young adults.

Mississippi Mud House owner Galinda Seabaugh, who recently applied for a city liquor license, said the council's June 21 decision sets a precedent for what many cities should be doing.

"I think it's good that the city's stepping up. We didn't want to see our town go bad," she said.

Seabaugh's coffee house already has a license to sell beer but wants a liquor license simply to keep up with customers' requests. A lot of people have asked for a coffee liqueur in their cappuccino, Seabaugh said, and she'd like to be able to meet their needs. They card everyone who orders alcohol, she added.

"We're not trying to be a bar," she said. "We're really trying to have more adults in here."

Jeff Holtmeier, manager and bartender at Buckner Brewing Co., demonstrates Tuesday how blacklights are used to check the authenticity of IDs.

Preventing alcohol sales to minors has been left to local law enforcement agencies in light of recent budget cuts to the Missouri agency that enforces liquor laws and performs license checks.

Most businesses that serve alcohol do realize the consequences of serving to minors, said Al Spencer, a Cape Girardeau police officer who helps conduct compliance checks in the city. In the most recent compliance check, he said, there were few instances of servers failing to ask for identification from a minor.

"If I remember correctly, we only got two out of the last bunch, and we did 20 to 30 at that time," Spencer said. "They're doing much better than they did when we first started."

During one of the first operations, conducted in 2002, seven of 11 Cape Girardeau establishments sold alcohol to an undercover minor working with officers. One of the businesses cited was a Rhodes 101 Stop, which at the time was intending to make changes.

The Rhodes 101 policy now is to fire any employee who sells an age-restricted product to a minor, according to Keith Boeller, spokesman for the area locations. The company conducts its own training that must be completed before a new employee can run a register. Boeller said the company also tries to send new employees to the alcohol server and ID training provided by the Cape Girardeau Police Department and Safe Communities Program.

At Buckner Brewing Co., the policy for nearly eight years has been to not allow minors in the restaurant and bar after 10 p.m. Brewmaster Mike Mills said the establishment has had few problems with people under 21 trying to order drinks.

"I think people just know now not to bother. We've been diligent, and minors know that about this place," Mills said. "Once you start serving minors, more expect to be served."

Some younger bar patrons, although they went to Margarita Mama's, said they wouldn't have wanted their siblings in the establishment.

"I think it's a good thing the city is shutting down [Margarita] Mama's, because not only were college kids going there, but so were high school kids," said Emily Blattel, 21, of Cape Girardeau. "I think there should be a safe place that kids in high school can go to hang out and dance and not have to worry about alcohol and dangerous people."

Although Blattel doesn't encourage her 19-year-old sister, Katie, to go to bars and drink, she recognized her sister is in college and will be drinking.

"I just want her to be safe and make good choices," Blattel said.

However, Latt Browne, a former bartender at Margarita Mama's, thinks the city's denial of the liquor license will only spread the problem to other bars.

"I think the city is just cracking down on one location which was a major problem spot," Browne said. "It's just had a bad reputation and certain groups of people take it over and it gets out of hand."

Regardless of how careful establishments may be, Southeast student Maura Gray, 20, said businesses' policies on checking all IDs could be more consistent. She said on slow nights or during the early evening most bars don't have security working at the door.

The city also needs more things for college students to do, she said.

"What is there for people underage here to do? They're away from home and don't have a curfew anymore, but the bowling alley closes early and there's only so many house parties," said Gray, who usually goes to Mixing Ten and The Pour House to play darts. Because she comes in with older friends and knows some of the door security, they never ask for her ID.

But bars aren't the only place teens can get alcohol, according to Sharee Galnore of the Safe Communities Program. Teens often first experiment with alcohol at home because parents supply it or because they have easy access to a liquor cabinet, she said.

According to Kay Azuma, Southeast Missouri Youth Substance Prevention Coalition board president, younger children are getting access to alcohol.

"It's as young as 11 now," Azuma said. "We're very concerned about the access to these substances. Youth pretty much know how to get what they want, when they want."

The Youth Substance Prevention Coalition was formed in 2000 after a United Way of Southeast Missouri survey listed youth substance abuse as an issue the community was concerned about. Because the coalition lacks information on where teens get alcohol and drugs, it is getting ready to distribute a survey to its target age group, ages 12 to 25.

"We're really excited to get that underway and hopefully get some insight on how youth are accessing these substances so we can actively address the problem," Azuma said.

ehevern@semissourian.com

388-3635

breutzel@semissourian.com

388-3654

Pertinent Addresses:

701 N. Main St., Cape Girardeau, MO

813 Broadway, Cape Girardeau, MO

132 N. Main St., Cape Girardeau, MO

2 North Main St., Cape Girardeau, MO

113 Broadway, Cape Girardeau, MO