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Shakopee council upholds $1,500 penalty and five‑day suspension for Texas Roadhouse liquor violation
Summary
After a hearing, the council approved the city staff recommendation under Shakopee City Code §114.99 for a second‑incident penalty against Texas Roadhouse: a $1,500 fine and a five‑day consecutive license suspension to be scheduled before year‑end, with council specifying the suspension may include a Monday.
The Shakopee City Council on Sept. 2 heard from city staff and representatives of Texas Roadhouse Holdings LLC before approving penalties for a 2024 compliance‑check liquor violation at the restaurant.
City staff explained Shakopee Police Department compliance checks verify licensed establishments do not serve alcohol to underage customers. Under City Code §114.99, staff recommended a second‑incident penalty for the May 8, 2024 failure: a $1,500 fine and a five‑day license suspension. Staff noted a prior compliance‑check failure at the same location on Oct. 17, 2022, which had been treated as a first incident and resolved without triggering the original one‑day suspension because conditions of abeyance were met.
Adam Phelps, identifying himself as the managing partner for the Shakopee restaurant, and Greg Jacobson, market partner, addressed the council. Phelps said Texas Roadhouse “has always taken responsible alcohol service very seriously” and described recent changes at the location, including manager and staff retraining, implementation of an ID scanning process at point‑of‑sale, company‑mandated annual compliance audits, and stricter scheduling tied to server certification. “We implemented IDing anybody over the age of 50, to check for restrictions,” Phelps said, and added the store now scans IDs to reduce manual errors.
Councilors discussed the city code’s penalty schedule and whether days of suspension could be scheduled to avoid peak business times. Staff clarified suspensions must be consecutive days, but council members said they preferred including a Monday among the five days. Councilor Whiting emphasized consistent enforcement and the need to avoid setting precedents for selective waivers.
Councilor Contreras moved to impose the staff‑recommended penalty (a $1,500 fine and a five‑day license suspension) and Councilmember Delaney seconded; the council approved the motion. Staff said they would coordinate with the licensee to set the suspension dates before the end of 2025. The action follows the code’s graduated penalties: $1,000 and a one‑day suspension for a first incident, $1,500 and a five‑day suspension for a second incident, $2,000 and a 15‑day suspension for a third; a fourth incident can carry heavier fines and potential revocation.
