A restaurant in downtown Boston will lose its liquor license for one week this month after investigators caught underage Boston College students drinking alcohol and not wearing masks at a party in April.
According to a report from the Commonwealth’s Alcoholic Beverages Control Commission, investigators arrived at Servia, a modern Eastern Mediterranean restaurant located on State Street, on April 9 and saw approximately 21 “youthful looking individuals,” many with drinks in hand, standing by the bar.
As investigators entered the establishment, the students began to “scatter” to the back of the restaurant, the report said.
“Investigators then walked to the back of the establishment and entered the dining room where they observed individuals exiting, trying to exit the premises, and/or attempting to hide from the investigators,” the report reads.
An investigation by the commission found that the restaurant violated four Massachusetts COVID-19 regulations by allowing employees and patrons to remove their masks inside the restaurant. The commission is also charging the restaurant with seven counts of underage drinking, all of which were BC students aged 19 and 20.
Servia’s liquor license suspension will begin on Oct. 18 and last through Oct. 24.
The report also details how the investigators, upon arriving at Servia, could see clearly through the front windows of the restaurant and observed the BC students drinking.
“Before entering the premises, Investigator Keefe observed approximately 21 youthful looking individuals inside,” the report reads. “Many of these patrons did not have facial coverings and some were in possession of what appeared to be alcoholic beverages.”
After finding the entrance to the restaurant locked, the investigators repeatedly knocked on the door to no avail. When they used their flashlights to alert a staff member and placed their identifications on the window, the investigators were finally able to enter the restaurant after the manager on duty opened the door for them, the report said.
Many of the students escaped the restaurant, but the investigators were able to identify BC students, who were aged 19 and 20 and were drinking five Moscow Mules, a Coors Light, and a White Claw among the seven of them. According to the commission, the students presented fraudulent Connecticut, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and New York driver’s licenses to the investigators.
Investigators identified another three underage BC students who were not in possession of alcohol and stated that they were not drinking.
The manager on duty told investigators that he believed the BC students were of legal drinking age, and sent the investigators the approximately 37-person invitation list for the party. He also said that he personally inspected the licenses of each of the attendees at the event and asked questions about their identification information.
The manager did, however, admit to improperly conducting the party, the commission wrote.
“[The manager] acknowledged it was an error to allow a party to begin at 10 p.m. and to serve pizzas on large tables rather than instructing individuals to be seated and providing table service,” the report reads.
At the time of the event, the Commonwealth’s safety measures for restaurants included ensuring 6 feet of distance between occupants, requirement of face coverings for workers and attendees, and the prohibition of communal serving areas.
In a statement to The Heights, a representative from Servia confirmed that the manager on duty that night has since been removed.
“The events that took place at Servia … were the result of a poor decision on behalf of a manager who has since been removed from their position,” they wrote. “Those events in no way shape or form represent our way of business or our dedication to public health during this difficult period.”
The University was not immediately available for comment, and it is not clear whether any of the underage students received disciplinary action from BC. The Heights was unable to confirm whether any of the students received a citation from the commission.
Photo Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons
