The Barn punished for liquor violations

By Justin Gallagher

After the semester has ended Greek Row night spot, The Barn, 1215 Blackhawk Road, will not be able to serve alcohol for four consecutive Saturdays.

The Barn owes $2,500 in fines to the city of DeKalb for two separate offenses.

The first offense occurred about one year ago when minors were found within the building, said Greg Sparrow, DeKalb mayor and liquor commissioner.

The Barn’s owners did not pay the fine in a timely manner, Sparrow said. They were charged an additional $1,000 for failing to pay the original fine.

Following that case, the establishment violated liquor codes again.

The guidelines of a Class E liquor license states holders of the license cannot require a cover charge for admission.

Hundreds of people complained to the commission and said The Barn charged a cover. This second offense cost them $1,500, Sparrow said.

It creates a form of happy hour, he said, “It’s either everybody gets the reduced price, or no one does.”

A Class E liquor license is meant for restaurants, and The Barn seems to be trying to create a bar. For this reason, there is a constant effort to redefine what a Class E license constitutes, Sparrow said.

Representatives from The Barn declined to comment.

Inquiries as to why the suspension was held until May were not answered as of press time.