The City of Boulder Beverage Licensing Authority on July 16 accepted a stipulation resolving an alleged liquor-license violation by Fringe Pizza LLC, doing business as Fringe, a Well Tapped Eatery, and imposed a two-day suspension of the establishment’s hotel-restaurant liquor license with nine additional days stayed.
The finding and penalty came after the authority accepted a joint stipulation of facts and heard testimony from the licensees, who said the incident was a first offense and that the employee involved had completed additional training and paid a fine in municipal court.
Owner Dewey Brown (licensee) told the authority that Fringe has been in business at 2900 Valmont Road since 2019 and that the violation was the restaurant’s first. “This is our first violation,” Brown said. Manager Whitney Rejotte added that the employee “attended her court hearing, paid her fine, and renewed her TIPS training as well.”
In deliberations, board members cited the licensee’s clean record, prompt remedial steps and ongoing staff retraining as mitigating factors but also emphasized that the bartender had multiple opportunities to correct the error before service occurred. Member Haggerty said the owners “took it seriously” and noted their quick response. Member Crane said the decision to keep the employee and retrain staff weighed in the licensee’s favor.
After discussion about typical penalty tables, Member Haggerty proposed reducing the recommended days; the board ultimately voted to impose two days served with nine days in abeyance. The motion passed on an affirmative voice vote from the members present (Member Roberts, Member Barnes, Member Crane and Member Haggerty).
The licensee requested to pay a fine of $1,000 in lieu of the two suspension days; the board voted to deny that request, with members stating a concern about setting precedent and noting the bartender had opportunities to prevent the violation.
Board staff will prepare the required suspension poster; the board set the suspension to begin on the forthcoming Monday so that the poster must be posted by 11:59 p.m. on Sunday, July 20 (posted for the record as beginning Monday, July 21 and ending Tuesday, July 22). Licensing staff told the licensee that posters would be ready to pick up the following day and must be posted before the suspension begins.
Discussion (not a decision) included that the licensee may request a fine in lieu of suspension before the authority discusses posting; the board instructed staff on the timeline and poster procedures. The authority also reminded licensees that suspension days must be consecutive and within 30 days of the decision.
The authority’s action resolved the disciplinary hearing for Fringe Pizza; no additional formal enforcement action was announced at the meeting.