Threat of LCE prompts some campus bars to change policies

The increased presence of Pennsylvania Liquor Control Enforcement officers on campus has prompted at least two area bars to make some changes in the way they do business, owners said. The owners of the Palladium and Gold Standard said recently that changes will include a greater emphasis on food and better training for bartenders on how to deal with underage drinking. But at other bars it appears to be business as usual. Owners of those bars said their policies and methods of dealing with underage drinking and potential LCE raids are adequate. Management of the Palladium, which was raided by the LCE the night of November 6, has begun attempts to change what they consider a misconception that the bar is too loud and crowded at night, according to owner Roger Harmon. "We are now emphasizing food and our Late Supper Menu," Harmon said. "It hasn't been easy, because a lot of people are used to the old way . . . [but] we have to do it." The staff has also received additional training. "The bartenders and staff took a one-day course called TIPS training that teaches how to deal with proper alcohol service, including problems of underage drinking," Harmon said. The Gold Standard, which is under the same ownership as the Palladium, has also made changes. "At our dance parties, we now have a totally separate bar and drinking only in a specified area of the cafe," Harmon said. He added that this has been effective so far, but they have only tried it two or three times. But at other local restaurants and bars, owners said they do not feel the need to change their practices. "I don't anticipate major changes," said Paul Ryan, owner of Smokey Joe's. Ryan said that their current method worked quite well for them in the fall. "They came in here one night this fall," Ryan said. "There were about 300 people drinking here and nobody was found to be underaged." "We'll keep our eyes out in the next month for new fake I.D.'s," he said, explaining that many students come back from winter vacation with new fake identification. Other bars and restaurants also said that they have had few problems in the past, and as a result, need few improvements. "We've never had any problem," said Chili's bartender Adam Black. "[The LCE] has come around about three times and never found any irregularities. People around campus know that we are primarily a restaurant and make most of our money off food." "It hasn't affected us too much," said Mary Doyle, manager of the New Deck Tavern. "We attract an older crowd, whose average age is probably 30." "We've always been strict with underage drinking, so we haven't needed to change any procedure," Doyle said. The same is true for the nearby White Dog Cafe. "The younger element has never been a problem before," bartender Al Gotto said. "There's more of a dining room atmosphere and a real dichotomy of clientele."