You might think the only place your teenager can get alcohol is at a party or from friends. But in a hidden camera investigation, we found out it's much easier than that.
WSBT went to five local restaurants to see if they would serve a minor or recognize a fake ID. Read on for the results of our investigation.
On a typical Saturday night at Fiddler’s Hearth in downtown South Bend people are laughing, listening to music and having a good time.
But servers and bartenders are now checking IDs closer than they did a month ago.
“It’s just a matter of making sure it's your number one priority,” said Fiddler’s Co-Owner and General Manager Sean Meehan.
In April, WSBT sent five people into five local restaurants to see if they could get an alcoholic drink. Four people in the group were WSBT employees — all over 21. Three in the group had a fake ID. One did not use an ID at any of the restaurants. A fifth person in the group was a 19-year-old. We agreed not to show his face or give his name because he's employed by Indiana State Excise Police. He's also trained not to lie to a server or misrepresent himself to be 21. He did not have an ID.
The group’s first stop — Hacienda on Grape Road in Mishawaka.
The server knew one person in the group, but didn’t card anyone else. A few minutes after taking the order, he returned with the drinks and served everyone — including the 19-year-old.
Next stop: Chili’s on Grape Road A manager seated the group then took the drink order. He never asked for ID, and a server delivered the drinks to everyone.
After that, they went next door to TGI Friday’s on Grape Road. The server there asked to see ID from everyone at the table. She didn’t question the fakes, and when one person in the group told her she didn’t have an ID, the server said, “That’s fine, just don’t tell anybody.”
By the end of the visit, the 19-year-old also ended up with a drink.
Next, CJ’s Pub, downtown South Bend. The server never asked for ID and everyone got a beer.
The last stop, Fiddler’s Hearth, where the server didn't question the fake IDs. And when she found out one person in the group didn't have an ID, she said, “Yeah, everyone’s close enough.”
Like the like the other four restaurants we visited that day, she served everyone alcohol … including the 19-year-old.
“We’re realizing a serious problem in our community with either the consumption or purchase or sale of alcohol to minors,” said St. Joseph County Police Sgt. Regis Thimons. “I think a lot of people, adults, are gonna be surprised that it's such a big problem.”
Sgt. Thimons said he wasn’t surprised with our findings. And he’s not the only one.
“It wasn’t necessarily a case of letting fake IDs slip by,” said Meehan. “It was more neglect.”
Less than 24 hours later, WSBT went back to each of the five restaurants to show them our video and get some answers.
Hacienda
The Gape Road Hacienda manager did not want to see the video. She sent us to the corporate office on Ironwood Drive. The corporation owner, Jeff Leslie, would not go on camera and refused to watch the video. He read a prepared statement saying: Hacienda takes the responsible service of alcoholic beverages very seriously. We have no further comment.
Chili’s
John Firth is the President of Quality Dining, Inc., the company that owns Chili’s on Grape Rd. He watched our video and e-mailed a written statement. In that statement said the assistant manager who seated the group and took the order intended to check the IDs when he delivered the drinks. And the server delivered the drinks thinking the manager had already checked.
Another portion of the written statement read: We recognize the seriousness of the lapse that recently occurred in our Chili's restaurant. We deeply regret the incident, which occurred despite the extensive and ongoing training that each of our employees undergoes concerning the responsible service of alcohol.
TGI Friday’s
Ed Wrenn is the TGI Friday’s Northern Indiana Director of Operations. He watched our video but wouldn’t go on camera. In an e-mail statement to WSBT, he wrote: We take our responsibility of selling alcoholic beverages very seriously, and have zero tolerance for any deviation from our very strict standards. The manner in which our server acted was absolutely unacceptable and as soon as you informed us of the situation we immediately terminated her. In addition, we have re-addressed our responsible alcohol sales and service policy with all team members.
CJ’s Pub
The owner of CJ’s Pub watched our video, but also refused to go on camera. He said he fired the employee who served the minor alcohol. He also said his establishment has never been ticketed for underage drinking. He would not give WSBT a written statement.
Fiddler’s Hearth
The co-owner and general manager, Meehan, said our investigation was a big wake-up call.
“I don’t feel that after seeing that video that she's the only one that could let something like that slip by,” he said.
As a result, Meehan invited Indiana Excise Police into the pub and made a liquor license training mandatory for all employees — including the one who served our 19-year-old.
“We’re in a position where being open to minors, it's a very difficult thing that we have to deal with,” Meehan explained.
Why Such A Problem?
St. Joseph County Police Sgt. Regis Thimons said having 11 colleges and universities in St. Joseph County alone only feeds the underage drinking and fake ID problem.
“More rural towns don't have quite the problem, don't have quite the alcohol liquor permits,” he explained.
Excise and local police agencies are working together to fight underage drinking. During compliance checks, Excise Police found more than 40 percent of St. Joseph County establishments with a liquor license served a minor alcohol.
But aside from asking for ID, how are servers in restaurants supposed to distinguish a fake one from the real thing?
Thimons said there are several publications businesses can receive through the state. Some of the books break down legitimate IDs for each state so servers know how to tell if an ID is fake.
Aside from re-educating its employees about their legal responsibilities when it comes to serving alcohol, Fiddler's Hearth made another change.
“We’ve gotten multiple books for 2009, regarding the legitimacy of IDs and stuff like that,” said Meehan. “We have them readily available in every corner of the building now.”
Police say servers everywhere need to realize the seriousness of serving a minor alcohol.
“That’s the message that we really need to get across is the liability for someone who purchases alcohol and then causes a fatality, it's unreal what the circumstances could be,” said Thimons.
Investigators say restaurants and pubs like Fiddler's can avoid those circumstances as long as everyone is drinking and serving responsibly.
Police received complaints about underage drinking at all five of the restaurants we selected. Those generally come from ex-employees, disgruntled customers and concerned parents. Police suggested the five restaurants we visited because of the complaints they’ve received.
Keep in mind, there are 537 businesses with alcohol permits in St. Joseph County, and we only visited five of them. Excise Police say none of the five we visited have ever been ticketed for serving a minor.
Our investigation was not done as part of a police operation, so the five restaurants who served our minors alcohol are not in trouble with police at this point.
Tuesday at 11, WSBT goes along with police to see how some grocery and liquor stores do as police send a 19-year-old into other businesses with liquor licenses to buy alcohol.
