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Marion County Alcoholic Beverage Board approves most applications, denies large venue permit after repeated minor-entry violations
Summary
The Marion County Alcoholic Beverage Board approved dozens of renewals and several transfers on March 3 and continued a number of cases; the board denied a permit for a large concert venue after repeated violations related to minors entering the premises and hindering of an excise investigation.
The Marion County Alcoholic Beverage Board met March 3 and processed a large docket of applications, approving most routine renewals and transfers, continuing several matters for missing paperwork or pending violations, and denying a single large venue permit after the board found repeated failures to prevent minors from entering the premises and a related hindrance of an excise investigation.
Board President Tyler Graves opened the hearing and reminded applicants of document requirements and sworn testimony. Excise officer and board secretary Amy Lisonbee reviewed filing requirements, telling applicants: "Applicants appearing in Marion County are required to have 4 items before the board can hear your case." Those four items were the affidavit of posting, the affidavit of notice to property owners/neighborhood organizations, the zoning affidavit from the Department of Metropolitan Development, and the Marion County tax clearance from the Indiana Department of Revenue.
During the morning session the board approved a long series of renewals and transfers across Speedway, Lawrence, Beech Grove and Indianapolis. Examples from the docket include the renewal for Mann Restaurant Group LLC (Barbecue and Bourbon on Main, RR4929995) and a transfer application for Eugene Santana (RR4941966, location pending); both were approved after applicants described corrective steps for past compliance issues. Several applicants with violations — including compliance-check failures where a server or clerk sold to a minor — told the board they had terminated the employee involved and implemented new ID-scanning or training procedures; in those cases the board generally approved the permit renewals. The board also granted continuances for multiple applications where zoning forms, posted signs or other required materials were missing.
A major contested decision came late in the morning involving a large Fountain Square concert venue with a capacity the record shows as about 1,600. After an extended hearing — during which the venue's representatives and counsel acknowledged multiple prior incidents in recent years in which excise officers found minors on the premises and described security changes meant to address the problem — the board moved to deny the permit. Attorney Alex Intermel summarized the venue's response to the most recent incident: "Melkor and Andre is looking at the video, identified the mistake, fired the security company, retrained everyone," and said the venue had replaced the security provider. Board members cited a multi-year pattern of minor-entry incidents and a separate finding that staff actions hindered an excise investigation. The board voted to deny that venue's permit; the board recorded a motion to deny, a second, and a unanimous vote in favor of denial.
Other notable outcomes: a no-show applicant (LaMalquierda LLC, 3003 Madison Avenue, RR4941603) had its application denied for failing to appear after multiple continuances; several cases with pending violations were continued to April so prosecutors and applicants could resolve outstanding charges.
The board concluded by approving the meeting's routine renewals without violations and adjourning. The board's formal vote outcomes and continuances are listed below.
