The St. Mary's County Alcohol Beverage Board on Thursday accepted Buffalo Wild Wings' admission that a July 31, 2012 underage compliance check resulted in an alcoholic beverage being served to a person under 21 and assessed monetary and training penalties.

Board members moved to impose a $1,000 fine with $500 suspended for three years pending no further violations; the fine is payable within 10 days or the license will be suspended. The board also required Buffalo Wild Wings to continue its in‑house responsible alcohol service (RAS) training.

The action followed Buffalo Wild Wings' legal team acknowledging the incident and offering mitigation evidence about the restaurant's training and compliance programs. "We do, in fact, acknowledge that the incidents that led place to this violation occurred," attorney Linda Carter told the board, for the record. Company representatives described a multilayered training and testing program, including an RAS course and daily pre‑shift reviews.

Don Rizzi, corporate regional manager, described steps taken after the incident: "He was suspended... After they did get in touch with you, he was called back into the restaurant and was terminated at that point," Rizzi said of the employee involved. Company witnesses also provided copies of the training manual, a signed handbook receipt, and documentation of testing and self‑audit programs the chain uses.

Board members said underage sales are among the most serious violations they address, and noted both the legal and public‑safety stakes. The board's motion on penalty passed by voice vote; members were given 30 days to appeal the action to the Circuit Court of St. Mary's County.

The board also noted that licensees are responsible for employees' conduct even when an employee is prosecuted separately in district court. The Buffalo Wild Wings representatives said the company will continue and expand methods it uses to reinforce compliance, including internal testing and management coaching.

The decision concluded the penalty phase for this citation; the board recorded the disciplinary motion and appeal timeline.