Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Liquor License Enforcement topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Select Board finds underage drinking at Pier 37 Boathouse and Raw Bar, imposes fines and safety conditions
Summary
After police testimony and evidence, the Falmouth Select Board found underage drinking violations at Pier 37 Boathouse and the Raw Bar. The board issued written warnings, a $500 fine for each licensee, required advanced staff training, a security‑improvement plan and quarterly meetings with police for one year.
The Falmouth Select Board on July 13 found that investigators had established underage drinking at two waterfront establishments and imposed sanctions aimed at tightening age checks and crowd control.
Town counsel told the board the legal standard under Massachusetts law requires substantial evidence that an individual was underage and that the person possessed or consumed alcohol. Detective Maguire testified he observed a youthful patron drinking at Pier 37 Boathouse on June 5 and that Alcoholic Beverage Control investigators confirmed the patron’s identification was false. "I personally observed a party that appeared underage consuming an alcoholic beverage," Detective Maguire said, and he described ABCC field testing that identified the ID as fraudulent.
Connor McLaughlin, representing Pier 37 Boathouse, said management has implemented multiple changes since the incident, including adding eight cameras (bringing total cameras on site to 62), purchasing additional ID scanners and stopping shot sales after 11:30 p.m. McLaughlin said the venue has also increased food offerings and will continue to work with police to improve safety. "We are committed to creating a safe and family friendly environment," he said.
Noting both the credibility of police testimony and the licensee’s documented corrective steps, the board found a statutory violation for underage drinking at Pier 37 Boathouse. The board imposed a written warning, a $500 fine, mandatory advanced staff training covering fake‑ID recognition, de‑escalation and crowd control, a comprehensive security and improvements plan to be submitted to the police chief within 14 days, and quarterly meetings with the Falmouth Police Department for one year.
The Select Board then considered two allegations related to the Raw Bar stemming from incidents on May 29 and June 5. Detective Maguire described an incident in which a patron later recorded a breath‑alcohol reading of roughly .118 early the following morning and told officers he had consumed drinks at the Raw Bar. Police reported receipts and staff statements that, together with the patron’s admission, qualified as substantial evidence that an underage person had consumed alcohol at the Raw Bar. The board found a violation for underage drinking at the Raw Bar, but it concluded there was insufficient credible evidence to find that staff knowingly served an overtly intoxicated patron in the May 29 case.
The board applied the same remedial package to the Raw Bar: a written warning, a $500 fine, required advanced training for staff, a security‑and‑improvements plan subject to police review, and quarterly follow‑ups for one year. Town counsel noted the board retains discretion about penalties and may require reporting or equipment installation in lieu of higher fines or suspension for first‑time offenses.
The board framed the sanctions as intended to protect public safety while recognizing the establishments’ prompt corrective steps, such as installing recorded video, increasing lighting, shoring up fences and creating a manager‑to‑manager group chat with police to track banned patrons. The motions carried with board assent.
