State alcohol commission intervenes, will decide if restaurant keeps license

The fate of a local restaurant’s liquor license is now in the hands of a state regulatory agency as an investigation into whether or not employees served an underage patron is currently underway.
Corbin Police Chief Carson Mullins, who also serves as the city’s Alcoholic Beverage Control Administrator, said the Kentucky Alcoholic Beverage Control Board (ABC) would make the final decision regarding Angels and Wings, a local restaurant and sports bar located in the Tri-County Square Shopping Center.
“I will be in deeper conversation with them,” Mullins said. “The ABC has taken the case. I’m expecting to hear something from them in the near future.”
In late March, 25-year-old Stanley Roberts and 31-year-old Frances Zadrozny, both of Gray, were arrested for allegedly allowing Zadrozny’s 15-year-old daughter to drink alcohol at the restaurant.
Mullins said the ABC Board would be trying to determine if staff at Angels and Wings played any role in knowingly serving alcohol to the girl.
Angels and Wings is currently operating under a two-year probationary review period with the ABC Board. The restaurant’s liquor license was technically “revoked” by the state Alcoholic Beverage Control Board last year. Investigators with the ABC claim the restaurant sold alcohol to underage patrons, over-served alcohol to already intoxicated customers, failed to pay taxes owed to the State Revenue Cabinet, and failed to meet minimum food sales requirements of 70 percent of gross receipts. The accusations came after Corbin police, along with ABC officers, conducted a late-night raid in Feb. 2005 at the restaurant and arrested five people on various drug and alcohol related charges. Three crack pipes and some marijuana was reportedly seized. The restaurant has been allowed to continue selling alcohol pursuant to an agreement reached with the ABC requiring frequent monitoring and provided that no further violations occur over the two-year period.
“After considering everything, I think it’s appropriate for the ABC to take the case since they are on probation to begin with,” Mullins said. “To my understanding, any infraction would violate their probation. The final outcome is up to the ABC itself.”
As local administrator, Mullins has the authority to impose penalties or revoke liquor licenses unilaterally. He said since ABC officials conducted the original investigation into the restaurant, and imposed the probation, he felt it appropriate to “get them involved.”
Management at the restaurant denies workers knowingly gave alcohol to the girl.
Michelle Osborne, a manager at Angels and Wings, said workers “absolutely did not know” alcohol they served to Zardozny and Roberts was being given to the juvenile.
“We don’t serve people who are underage here,” she said. “The server didn’t know the girl was drinking.”
She also said the restaurant has the entire incident recorded on video surveillance and that it proves no one associated with the restaurant gave the girl alcohol.
Osborne added the girl was drinking from her mother’s glass.
Mullins said the ABC’s final decision would likely be made public sometime this month.