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Council reconsiders and approves Park Hospitality convention liquor license after operator pledges changes
Summary
Following a prior denial, the council reconsidered and approved the convention liquor license for Park Hospitality (La Athena/La Quintina) after the owner outlined operational changes intended to prevent underage sales and staff indicated the state will consider only recent violations.
The Brookings City Council reconsidered and approved the annual on-sale convention liquor license renewal for Park Hospitality (restaurant/operation referenced in the packet as La Athena/La Quintina) after hearing public comment and assurances from the owner about steps to prevent underage sales.
City staff explained the South Dakota Department of Revenue had not received some earlier compliance-check reports and therefore would consider only 2023–2024 violations when reviewing the license; the city, however, retains its own records and may consider an extended violation history. The council voted to reconsider the prior denial from the Nov. 26 meeting and opened the item for public comment.
Lance Park, who identified himself as a long-time Brookings business owner and the license-holder’s owner/operator, apologized for past infractions and outlined corrective measures: removing half-price drink promotions in favor of food promotions, adding two hosts at the door to separate carding and seating duties, hand stamps and armbands for verified patrons, scanning IDs at tables, increasing ID scanners from two toward six so servers each have a scanner, enhanced staff alcohol training and managerial oversight, and disciplinary measures for staff who serve underage patrons. Park said the changes are in process and would be implemented by Jan. 1 if the license is approved.
Councilmembers acknowledged the seriousness of repeated underage-violation incidents but said the combination of operational changes and enhanced oversight addressed many of their concerns. One councilmember cautioned that additional violations would prompt further action. After discussion, the council took a roll-call vote and approved the license renewal; staff and council emphasized the expectation of full implementation and monitoring of the corrective actions.
Next steps: license-holder to implement the pledged measures by Jan. 1 if approved; city staff will monitor compliance, and future violations may trigger further council action or license review.
