The Lafayette City-Parish Council will hear appeals of liquor license suspensions from two Lafayette bars and three other merchants on Tuesday. The Lafayette City-Parish Council will hear appeals of liquor license suspensions from two Lafayette bars and three other merchants on Tuesday.
The Bulldog, a popular UL hangout on General Mouton Avenue, as well as a Shop Rite on Doucet Road, a Tobacco Plus on Evangeline Thruway and a USA Food Express on Kaliste Saloom, are appealing three-day suspensions issued by the Alcohol and Noise Control Office in connection with purchases of alcohol by underage patrons. Club Moet on 12th Street is appealing a one-year suspension of its liquor license following a recent sting operation targeting illegal stripping.
The Bulldog was scheduled to serve its suspension this past weekend, but remained open pending Tuesday's appeal. A third bar, Pilots Pub on Congress Street, did not appeal its suspension. The suspensions for The Bulldog and Pilots Sports Pub are both single count charges of a minor in possession of alcohol in their establishment. The charges date back to separate, widely publicized incidents from 2009 in which minors were involved in fatal car accidents after allegedly drinking at the bars. The Bulldog is also the subject of a civil suit in connection with the death of an underage patron.
Each of the citations against the bars falls under a never-before enforced provision in a 2005 city-parish ordinance that addresses underage drinking and other infractions. For more, read The Independent's April 28 news story, "Minor Detail."