UPDATED: Lilydale Liquor Store Faces Civil Penalty For Alcohol Sales Violation

Sunfish Cellars Wine and Spirits in Lilydale will pay a $500 civil penalty to the city of Lilydale for failing a compliance check in December, just five days after opening its doors.

The maximum penalty for the first violation of a liquor license in Lilydale is $1,000 and a three-day suspension. However, the business enrolled in the Mendota Heights Police Department's Best Practices program shortly after the violation. Businesses participating in the program face lighter penalties in exchange for providing employee training and implementing safeguards against underage sales.

Because of the short time frame the business had to enroll in the program before the compliance check, city attorney Mike O'Brien and the department recommended to the council that the business face the lighter penalty of $500.

Store owner Bill Miller purchased and remodeled the store last fall at the former Diamond Jim’s location at the River Bluff Center. Miller said that even before the violation, plans had been made to prevent just such an occurrence.

“There’s a lot of parents in this community, I’m one of them,” said Miller. “I would hate for my kid to have malt liquor.”

Miller told the council that he did not know about the Best Practices program before the violation.

According to a criminal complaint, store clerk Mark Bartholomew, 52 of Northfield, checked the license of an 18-year-old decoy on Dec. 6, but sold the male a six-pack of Heineken beer anyway.

When questioned by the supervising officer, Bartholomew said he should have checked closer, according to the report.

A card-swiping machine to operate the cash register had already been ordered and was installed two weeks after the check, said Miller. The Mendota Heights Police Department provided staff training on alcohol sales a few weeks ago.

Miller said Bartholomew was hired specifically because he has experience as a bouncer checking identification. “I didn’t hire a kid,” said Miller. “It was extremely frustrating—you can’t imagine when I got the news.” Bartholomew is no longer employed at the business.

“Our No. 1 priority is to check IDs,” said Miller. “We’re not here if we don’t do that.”