The DeKalb Liquor Commission handed down a license suspension and fine to Burritoville for serving alcohol to underage patrons.

DeKalb police sent three underage females to Burritoville, 1026 W. Hillcrest Drive, where they purchased beer Jan. 12.

The minors presented their underage identifications upon ordering the alcohol and were still served, DeKalb Mayor Greg Sparrow said.

Burritoville was charged Feb. 15 with serving alcohol to minors. It received a $1,075 fine and a one-day suspension of its liquor license.

The penalties are determined by the business’ previous record, DeKalb City Attorney Norma Guess said.

The minimum fine for selling alcohol to minors is $1,000 if there have been no previous offenses within a year, Guess said.

“We chose to suspend their license for one day because this is not their first offense,” Guess said.

Burritoville was charged in 2003 with the sale of alcohol to minors, she said. It also was charged with failure to provide a certificate of liability insurance, a requirement for all Illinois businesses. Burritoville’s certificate expired Jan. 9.

For that reason, it received a $500 fine and an additional four-day suspension of its license, bringing it to a five-day suspension.

The business has 15 days to pay its fines and will serve the suspension shortly thereafter, Guess said.

Burritoville will serve the suspension for five consecutive days beginning the same day of the week the offense occurred, Guess said.

The penalty for the expired liability insurance was more severe because the business failed to renew it for about a month after it served underage girls, Guess said.

The punishment pales in comparison to any lawsuits that could have occurred when Burritoville was uninsured, Sparrow said.

“If somebody would have had an accident while they weren’t insured, Burritoville would have faced a big liability,” he said.

Burritoville has renewed its liability insurance but has to pay for it from the time it expired in January.