The owners of Skooter’s Roadhouse in Shorewood will lose their liquor license for four days beginning Jan. 12 because of a violation of liquor laws.
Shorewood Mayor Richard Chapman, who also is the liquor commissioner, became aware of the Dec. 23 holiday event, which violated state codes by advertising and offering liquor specials without offering food, on Christmas Day.
During an investigation, it was discovered that Skooter’s was also advertising a similar special for New Year’s Eve.
Sighting a “dangerous situation for Shorewood residents and patrons of the establishment,” Chapman issued an emergency suspension order for the sale of liquor at Skooters’ for the New Year’s Eve event.
At the request of Skooter’s management, a meeting was held between Chapman and village legal staff.
Skooter’s filed an appeal with the State Liquor Control Board, saying short notice from the village would cause an undue hardship on the establishment and the 45 employees who were scheduled to work New Year’s Eve.
“It’s highly irregular that the city would seek to serve any establishment [with emergency suspension] after 5 p.m. with the hearing [scheduled] at 3 p.m. the next day,” said George Lattas, attorney for Skooter’s.
Skooter’s agreed to drop its appeal as the result of the compromise made with the village to correct the code violation for New Year’s Eve, Lattas said.
Chapman issued a four-day suspension of liquor sales to Skooter’s based on the first violation on Dec. 23 beginning Jan. 12.
Skooter’s has gone on official record, according to Chapman, accepting the suspension and admitting to the Dec. 23 violation. Scooter’s also agreed to pay $1,000 to cover village legal fees, Chapman said.
Lattas said the owners of Skooter’s feel blindsided by the suspension, given it wasn’t intentional, and “in the spirit of cooperation are working together with the city.”
“[My client] inadvertently [violated the law],” Lattas said. “We had a party with a drink package on Christmas Eve. There was no malice to violate the law.”
During 2016, Shorewood police were called to the establishment 75 times for various complaints, Chapman said.
“Police are constantly being called there on weekends,” he said. “More than any other establishment in the village.
Chapman said the original intent for Skooter’s was to be an upscale steak house.
“It has now turned into a late-night entertainment facility. It draws in hundreds of people from out of town and is causing us some difficulties,” he said.
The village currently is addressing complaints of excessive noise coming from Skooter’s, particularly on the weekends.
Lattas said the businesses owners tried to make a go of the steakhouse alone, but it wasn’t profitable.