The city of DeKalb is charging The Barn with charging patrons to enter the business.

That is a violation of the DeKalb Municipal Code, which states that Class E liquor license holders are not allowed to charge patrons cover for entering the establishments.

According to the charges, there are two dates when police discovered a cover charge was being issued: Feb. 6 and Feb. 20.

Both dates were Fridays, also the day that The Barn, 1215 Blackhawk Road, offers $1 drink specials and a $5 pizza buffet.

Sgt. Gary Spangler from the DeKalb Police Department said he received complaints from customers about being asked to pay $5 when they didn’t want to eat the pizza buffet. When the customers refused to pay for it, they weren’t allowed in.

“When they entered, they didn’t notice anything as far as food,” Spangler said.

When talking to the Northern Star in January, Chris Gochis, The Barn owner’s son, said the pizza buffet was optional, and people didn’t need to participate in the buffet to get the $1 drinks.

Spangler said when police talked to the owners about the incidents, they said the $5 was for the pizza buffet.

“[The patrons] also weren’t happy about the way the people handled it,” he said.

City Attorney Margo Ely said Class E establishments can charge cover to let people enter the bar area of their restaurants but not the restaurant part.

The licensee also is charged with letting at least three minors not accompanied by their parents into the bar area on Feb. 15. The minors also allegedly were served, consumed and possessed alcohol without showing their IDs.

That was discovered after DeKalb police conducted bar checks.

The liquor hearing for the establishment will be held at 4 p.m. April 12 at the DeKalb Municipal Building, 200 S. Fourth St.

The establishment could be fined and/or have its liquor license suspended or revoked if found guilty.

In January, it was reported that The Barn planned to sue the city for passing an ordinance in November that they called “overboard and unconstitutional.”

The ordinance, which was passed in November, states that Class E establishments have to stop selling alcohol at midnight during the week and at 1 a.m. Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights. It also states that Class E establishments can’t charge people cover to enter.

Ely said those charges still are pending.

No one at The Barn was available for comment.