Evanston mayor revokes bar’s liquor license

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Updated: March 3, 2012 8:31AM

Mayor Elizabeth Tisdahl has ordered a longtime Evanston establishment’s liquor license revoked immediately. The Keg’s seven-year history as a place where underage consumption of alcohol was “encouraged, and even permitted,” was a factor in her decision.

In a statement released this afternoon, Tisdahl expressed regret but said the action to revoke, the first in her administration, had to be taken.

“It is always an extremely difficult decision to revoke a license of a local business, but I have to also consider the health and welfare of the community as a whole. Serving minors alcohol is a serious matter that cannot be left unaddressed,” she said.

The move to revoke The Keg’s license followed a meeting of the city’s Liquor Control Review Board on Friday. Tisdahl, as the city’s liquor commissioner, called the hearing in response to 19 underage violations cited against The Keg in January.

The bar, popular among college students, had been sanctioned previously by the city on several other occasions in recent years — including in 2010, when officials reported 55 calls to police because of unruly behavior and other incidents at the establishment, at 810 Grove St.

Closed down in ’06

In 2006, then-Mayor Lorraine H. Morton ordered The Keg temporarily closed after a fatal shooting on the premises in 2006.

In her ruling, though, Tisdahl said that despite several opportunities to present a plan and to allay the concerns of the liquor board and the mayor, the licensee failed to do so.

She cited testimony from Evanston Police Chief Richard Eddington, who raised concern about a drain of public resources if police were required to give the bar more attention.

Tisdahl said anecdotal evidence of the perception of The Keg as a place where underage drinking of alcohol was permitted and even encouraged could be found on social media websites.

Those sites offer “incontrovertible proof that The Keg, through its use of social media, expressly incited, encouraged and assisted underage patrons in coming to The Keg and consuming alcohol,” the mayor maintained. “Underage consumption of alcohol is a clear and present danger to the health, welfare and safety of the city of Evanston and its residents.”

A plea for leniency

At last week’s liquor hearing, Keg owner Tom Migon said he had taken substantial steps to control underage drinking since the bar was shut down for several days in 2010, noting there had been few violations until recently.

He asked for leniency, and said he would allow a police officer to be stationed at the establishment, along with some of other recent steps he had taken.

Migon said he had no control of social media and maintained that The Keg had no influence over what people posted.

“I don’t know anyway to trace it (or) whom it is coming from,” he said.

He and his attorney, Todd Stephens, also blamed sophisticated fake identification cards manufactured overseas as a factor in the latest spate of violations.

Stephens declined comment today.

Migon could not be reached Monday in a call to the restaurant.