Brookings council denies La Cantina liquor license renewal after three compliance failures

Brookings City Council voted to deny renewal of Park Hospitality’s on‑sale convention liquor license for La Cantina after staff reported three alcohol compliance check failures (one in 2022, one in 2023 and one in 2024).

At a public hearing, city staff said Park Hospitality had completed state processes and paid associated fines, and that the business had passed its most recent compliance check in September 2024. Ray Aranda, who the city identified as one of the La Cantina owners/managers, told council the restaurant has since purchased ID scanners and revised training and discipline policies for staff.

"I bought some ID scanners," Aranda said, adding that managers now instruct waitstaff to scan IDs and that he has increased supervision. He described the most frequent failures as occurring on busy Thursday nights tied to a half‑price margarita promotion. "We serve up to 700 people a night," Aranda said, and said the scanners and manager reminders have reduced the problem.

Council members asked about how often staff use the scanners, onboarding and shift‑by‑shift reminders, and signage to inform patrons that IDs will be checked. City staff confirmed signs have been posted and that the State Department of Revenue will make the final licensing determination once notified of the council’s action.

The council recorded a roll call on the renewal and denied it; staff indicated they would notify the South Dakota Department of Revenue and pursue next steps for the business. No suspension length or specific follow‑up penalties were decided by the council at the meeting; staff told the business its current license remains valid until midnight on December 31 and that the city would follow up before that date with information from the state.