A pair of Schuylkill County businesses were recently busted serving booze to customers without a meal and violating other COVID-19 mitigation regulations.
According to information released today by the Bureau of Liquor Control Enforcement in Allentown, the two businesses cited were Mazloom’s, of New Philadelphia, and Mulligans, of Shenandoah.
Restaurants and bars have been picked on considerably more than other small businesses by Pennsylvania’s COVID-19 mitigation efforts.
They’ve been forced to operate at substantially reduced capacity – or closed entirely – since the start of the pandemic. Pennsylvania officials say, through their mostly unsuccessful contact tracing efforts, that more people who’ve become infected with COVID-19 report visiting a bar or restaurant prior to contracting the virus. However, the state also says that it’s unable to reach a majority of the people it tries to contact trace.
But, in particular, restaurants and bars, have to follow more rules than any other type of business as it relates to mitigating COVID-19’s spread. One of the emergency orders issued over the summer included a rule requiring that any alcohol sale be accompanied by the purchase of a meal. And when businesses adapted to that, somewhat sarcastically, by offering customers simple items like buttered bread or popcorn, the state came down on them a little harder.
Pennsylvania LCE Busts 2 Schuylkill County Businesses Serving Booze Without a Meal
The COVID-19 infractions at Mazloom’s were noted back on Oct. 22. It was on that day an LCE agent observed several violations per the emergency mandates and orders handed down by Governor Tom Wolf and Health Secretary Rachel Levine.
LCE says a patron was served alcohol for “on-premises consumption in a transaction that did not include a meal” on that day.
Mazloom Inc. was also cited for failing to require customers to wear face masks “while entering, exiting, or otherwise traveling throughout the establishment” and the company “did not provide face masks for employees to wear at work”. Employees were also not required to wear face masks the entire time they were at work and the LCE cited the company for that infraction, too.
In Shenandoah, the LCE says Pocono Enterprise Co., which does business as Mulligans, S. Main St., was cited for activity inside the establishment on Oct. 24. Like Mazloom’s, the establishment was cited for selling alcohol to a customer who intended to drink the beverage there without selling him food.
The company was also cited for a number of other COVID-related violations:
- Served a customer seated at the bar
- Customers not required to wear face masks
- Failed to provide face masks to employees
- Did not require customers to consume alcohol while seated at a table or booth
- Served drinks after 11 p.m.
- Exceeded the 25% occupancy limit
- Failed to provide proper social distance or barriers between parties at tables
In a matter unrelated to the pandemic, LCE also cited Old Buckhorn Cafe LLC, of Saint Clair, for not having “responsible alcohol management certification” from Sept. 22 until Nov. 2.
Businesses cited for COVID-19 mandate and other LCE violations must appear before an Administrative Law Judge. That judge can fine a company anywhere between $50-1,000 for minor offenses. More serious offenses carry fines up to $5,000. The businesses’ licenses can also be suspended or revoked as a result of these violations.
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Trump2020
December 1, 2020 at 3:35 pm
I have been saying since January that this is all a scam by democratic party members who unfortunately act like they run the state of PA. COVID-19 is no worse than a common cold and has a survival rate of well over 90%. Only people who have underlying health issues perish from it the same as they would if they caught a cold.
Constitutionally Governors cannot envoke laws, making laws is not an authority a governor has even in emergency situations like they’re claiming the pandemic is. Most democrat officials are acting like the mob or mafia by enforcing things that are not laws. Tom Wolf is not our boss. He works and does and answers to us. We The People do have the power, authority, and right to abolish and change who’s in elected positions. We will if they keep this crap up. All the Militias that are forming need is for people to stand with us.
These inappropriate elected officials who ignore the order of contact and authority acting like they’re in charge and terrorist groups like BLM need to be eradicated and prosecuted.
coalregion12
December 1, 2020 at 4:18 pm
The world is a much safer place thanks to the brave actions of these PLCB Agents.
Drugs rampant, blight destroying the towns of New Philly and Shenandoah but the PLCB Agents making sure someone has a meal in front of them while they have a beer is sure to bring safety and security back to the Coal Region!!!!
What a joke.
PTFloridians
December 2, 2020 at 8:41 am
The Gestapo/quasi-Stasi thumb of the power mad Governor and his sidekick are repressive, and disgusting. Our area has been scourged with everything that invading locusts bring, but they’ve enabled the dunces in the PLCB to put pressure on freedom loving and law abiding citizens, that keepp this once great state alive.
…my Wife and I ate at A Taste of Sicily, in Palmyra last week. They won every court case against this regime and continue to operate successfully, while allowing the patrons to govern themselves safely.
…Schmendrick Wulf and Tricky Dick Levine are a disgrace to governance and humanity, but, the people get what they ask for. They swooned the unions and the zombie drones when they got elected into office. Pretty soon I’ll be known as FTFloridians. This state has become a smouldering trash heap.
Virginia Theresa
December 15, 2020 at 7:05 am
PA was already seeing a decline in population as young people moved out because we have lost all decent paying jobs. The only response by state government was to bring in welfare recipients from out of state, give them free housing, free money, and free food, all with federal money. But at some point even the federal government will run out of money without workers to pay taxes and invest. That is when the CCP will move in and ‘save’ us, and own us. Any one not familiar with U.N. Agenda 21. and 2130 needs to educate themselves. This is the global plan to take civil liberties and bring down democracies under the guise of making the world a better place with ‘green policies’.
Virginia Theresa
December 15, 2020 at 6:49 am
I hope you are joking! People everywhere need to stop obeying orders plain and simple. Why people continue to wear mask is beyond me, They look stupid, just like the chinese. But we are not the chinese, not yet! Last I heard this is still America and we still have our constitution and the amendments therein. Perhaps the governor has gone senile and thinks he is a King. He needs to remember how it turned out last time a king tried ruling this country.
Rob
December 15, 2020 at 4:46 pm
That’s exactly what we need to do but it’s going to take way more than a handful of us to do it. The whole underlying problem is that about 2 decades ago people started being sheeple and allowing government to do whatever they want.
I’m not the only one, but one of too few, who have been trying to get through to these sheeple that WE run this country. Not those we elect. People have forgotten what voting is for.
If Biden gets in and nobody helps us all throw him out we are doomed. Freedoms gone. Look how he and Kamala act now; “people don’t need to know details.” Yes, we do!
Some idiots, yeah, but I can’t bring myself to believe a majority of American’s voted for them. No way.
Ryles
December 15, 2020 at 5:53 pm
Lake shore property for sale in Gilberton.