The City of Boulder Beverage Licensing Authority on Wednesday denied an application to transfer a hotel-restaurant liquor license for Dagavi Kachina, 3970 Broadway, after licensing staff presented evidence the business sold alcohol before temporary authority was granted.

Licensing analyst Kristen Teague told the authority she had repeatedly warned the applicant that sales before a license or formal temporary permit were unlawful. Teague presented the board with the applicant’s point-of-sale records showing alcohol transactions on May 5–8, before the temporary license was issued on May 15. “She had been told multiple times that she could not sell alcohol prior to the issuance of the temporary license,” Teague told the board.

Applicant Tamina Rockey, who is seeking the transfer, acknowledged responsibility but told the board she had struggled with turnover and with handoffs from previous staff and the prior owner. Rockey told the panel she will accept responsibility for what happened and that new staff have been hired and new management is in place.

After deliberation the board voted to deny the transfer application. The BLA also revoked the restaurant’s conditional temporary authority and ordered immediate operational steps: licensing staff and a police enforcement officer will meet the licensee on site at 9:00 a.m. the next business day to conduct a city-witnessed inventory of all alcoholic stock. The board directed the licensee to contact suppliers within five working days to request returns or credits; any unreturned stock must be scheduled for witnessed destruction and poured out on the 11th business day after the hearing unless returned earlier. The board noted that city staff cannot move inventory or pour out alcohol; the licensee must supply staff for destruction and provide receipts for any supplier returns.

Board members said the pre-license sales were a serious legal violation and stressed the need for robust, documented training and controls if the business seeks future licensure. Member Leah Roberts said she could not be comfortable approving a transfer after a sale practiced in violation of state and city rules.

Actions taken at the hearing include a motion to deny the transfer (approved unanimously) and a separate motion to revoke the conditional temporary license and set the city-witnessed inventory/returns/destruction schedule (approved unanimously). The board’s licensing manager read the timeline and practical steps into the record and said staff would e‑mail the instructions and follow up with on-site support at the scheduled inventory meeting.

What’s next: The denial does not bar the operator from applying for a different class of license or reapplying in the future; licensing staff said applicants may pursue beer-and-wine or tavern licenses or reapply for a hotel-restaurant license after following the city’s processes. Separately, the restaurant must comply immediately with the inventory and destruction directions or face enforcement action.

Quoted from the hearing: Licensing analyst Kristen Teague: “She had been told multiple times that she could not sell alcohol prior to the issuance of the temporary license.” Applicant Tamina Rockey: “I will take the responsibility… there’s lots of misunderstanding and misleading going through it.”