Three Cottage Grove businesses fail alcohol compliance checks

Talk about it

A trio of Cottage Grove establishments failed the Cottage Grove Public Safety Department’s most recent alcohol compliance checks.

City Council members last week approved levying a $500 fine against Apple Minnesota, the company that operates Minnesota franchises of the national restaurant chain Applebee’s, for selling alcohol to a minor during a Nov. 29 check by Cottage Grove police, the restaurant’s first violation in a 24-month period.

Last month, officials authorized a $500 fine against the VFW Post 8752 and a $1,000 fine against Las Margaritas Mexican Restaurant for failing the same compliance check. The violation was Las Margaritas’ sixth failure in the past six years.

Cottage Grove police conduct periodic checks of the city’s businesses with on-sale or off-sale liquor licenses. City officials are set to discuss changes to the city’s fine schedule related to alcohol violations later this year, including possible temporary suspension of liquor licenses for repeated failures.

Tags: cottage grove, updates, business, government