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8 Morro Bay stores accused of selling alcohol to a minor

February 18, 2012

Clerks at eight Morro Bay businesses were cited for selling alcohol to a minor as part of a decoy operation conducted on Thursday.

Agents with the California Alcoholic Beverage Control and Morro Bay police officers instructed an underage decoy to provide the proper identification if asked by store clerks.

Officers gave clerks at the Morro Bay Valero, AM-PM, Mobil, Lighthouse Liquor, Bella Vinos, Lucky 7 Market, Del Mar Market and The Port misdemeanor citations for allegedly selling alcohol to a minor.


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oh, the key to handling these sorts of things is to ensure that the penalties that are on the books are actually applied consistently.


People always criticize spot checks… but if the penalties are applied and not evaded… then the message is made.


Sounds like a new round of checks is in order. ;)


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Another publicity stunt by the PRPD.


I think Lisa Solomon is getting paid too much money to spend her time being the equivalent of the Vitameatavegamin lady.


I guess the secret to getting the PR police to show up on police calls is to make sure there are media cameras there.


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This is about Morro Bay, or didn’t you read the story before sending your comment, MaryMalone?


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She didn’t even read the title of the story.


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Mary, your comment on something you obviously didn’t even read is telling. If you did read it, the evaluation of your response is even worse. It shows you have no basic understanding of the world. Were you in this mental state of confusion when you blathered about the water situation in the south county?


You are dismissed from any respect here.


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Telling? Blather? MM has provided correct facts and information on CCN for readers. You on the other hand treason offer nothing but a display of stupidity.


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And four others agreed with her comment.


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Guys, come on, give Mary a break. There is a story about PR right below this one and obviously that is the one Mary was responding to. It might have been Mary’s error, but I would not be surprised if it were a software glitch. This is not the first time I have seen story responses posted below the wrong story.


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What I find interesting is that NO businesses on the Morro Bay waterfront were tested. Stating the operation was done by the ABC including HELP from Morro Bay Police Department, could it just be an oversight that the busiest tourist spots serving alcohol with full bars were overlooked? I guess the city of Morro Bay would be embarrassed if one of their own got cited since two of the bars are owned by councilman George League and frequented by many of the city “STAFF”. Mayor Yates also has financial interest at another embarcadero restaurant serving alcohol.Hhmmmmm, I’m sure it’s just a coincidence. It would also be nice to post the list of businesses who did ask for Proper ID and followed the law.


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I believe a bartender at GAFCo. was cited not too long ago (a couple of years anyway). But George Leage doesn’t really have an interest in that place other than his name is on the lease. His son Jimmy runs/owns the business. Not sure whose name is on the liquor license though.

George also no longer has any interest in the Harbor Hut. His other son Troy and his wife Heather own that business (plus the Lil’ Hut) and have the lease in their names too.

George’s sister, Vi Leage has the master lease for the Cannery (formerly Outrigger) and she subleases the restaurant space to Barry Lambert. Other than George living in an illegal apartment up stairs, and a loan he took out against the lease years ago, he has no financial interest in it. His daughter-in-law owns two businesses that sublease from Vi (her aunt-in-law).

I recall last year or maybe the year before, ABC tried this sting in Otter Rock Cafe. The bartender Margaret asked for ID and when the girl showed it, she chewed her ass out because she was only 17 and then Margaret confiscated the ID and threw the girl out. When ABC came in to get the girl’s ID Margaret refused to give it to them until a MBPD officer came in too.

They sent one of those congratulations letters to the owner. It was all pretty funny.


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Well, the ABC needs to go to the Otter rock and other bar / restaurants during Halloween and / or big party events where drinkers of age easily hand off drinks to underage patrons in their group. Because it is also a restaurant, minors are allowed to attend and this is a common occurrence.


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Yeah, that place can get crazy especially on Halloween, New Year’s and the Christmas party. I wouldn’t be shocked if there were under-aged kids getting drinks handed off to them. That’s one of the dangers of throwing that kind of huge parties. You have to have a doorman checking IDs in that situation or make them 21-older only.

I don’t know how often they do it, but the PD does indeed do these decoy stings on the Embarcadero. They are an equal-opportunity enforcer in that regard, unless one takes into account the way they park lying in wait near the Buoy Bar and bust people when they leave. They might be a little over-zealous in that instance.

They do the same downtown with Fuel Dock and Legend’s.

Morro Bay is an enigma — it’s a tourist town with no real tourist attractions and a vacation town with almost zero nightlife. We’re a town of 10,000 residents visited by about a million tourists every year and with more than 50 bars and restaurants, most of which serve alcohol; yet ruled over by a police department that pretty much has zero tolerance for partying.

And they wonder why the tourism economy struggles.


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Good idea Officer Diamond.


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