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Worcester license commission suspends Shannon’s Ale House after police compliance check finds underage patrons
Summary
After a Worcester Police compliance check on Sept. 18 found multiple patrons under 21 and several people leaving with open containers, the License Commission found violations of its rules and voted to suspend Shannon’s Ale House’s liquor license. The owner admitted responsibility and described steps taken to prevent a recurrence.
The Worcester License Commission voted on Oct. 23 to suspend the liquor license of Shannon’s Ale House following a police compliance check that found multiple underage patrons and incidents of alcohol being carried into the public sidewalk.
Officer Patrick Harrington of the Worcester Police Department told the commission that his unit conducted compliance checks at numerous businesses on Sept. 18 and that, at about 11:36 p.m., officers observed several young‑appearing patrons at Shannon’s. "It is the opinion of officer Harrington that any reasonable person, particularly one responsible for the sale of alcoholic beverages, would have or should have known that the identified individuals were under the state's legal age of consumption," Harrington said, and video extracted from body‑worn cameras and fraudulent IDs were entered into the record.
Licensee James Hunter, who identified himself as the representative of JJH Investments doing business as Shannon’s Ale House, admitted he was working the door the night of the incident and said he accepts responsibility. "I take full responsibility. I was working the door that night. I thought I had everything under control. I did not," Hunter told the commission, and described changes the business has made, including hiring professional security for busy nights, issuing wristbands after checking IDs and purchasing an updated ID‑checking guide.
Officer Harrington and other investigators reported that three patrons — two females and one male — later disclosed ages of 18, 19 and 20 and turned over false identification; officers also observed patrons exit the establishment carrying alcoholic beverages in violation of open‑container rules.
After hearing the evidence and the licensee’s statements, the commission concluded the violations occurred and voted to suspend the license. The commission specified a three‑day suspension with dates to be served as determined in the commission’s action. The commission also noted the presence of video evidence and the police report documenting the incident.
The licensee was told the suspension will be enforced in accordance with the commission’s decision and that future compliance checks would be used to evaluate corrective steps. The commission encouraged documented preventive measures such as secure ID checks, retained incident logs and ongoing staff training.
The commission record includes the police report, video excerpt and the licensee’s statement; the commission did not impose a monetary fine on the record at the hearing.
