Just as you can earn a liquor license for your restaurant, you can just as easily have your liquor license revoked if you fail to abide by the rules associated with maintaining that license. There are a number of mistakes or missteps you can make that could lead to the TABC penalizing you by taking away your liquor license, or issuing your establishment a temporary liquor license suspension.

Here are just a few examples of some of those mistakes that can lead to the loss of a Texas liquor license in Dallas, TX:

• Serving alcohol to minors: There’s a simple way of avoiding this issue: just make sure you’re checking for IDs on all of your customers so you can be sure you’re not serving anyone underage. And when you do check identification, make sure you actually take the time to do it properly. If you have any reason to believe a customer is less than 21 years old, you must check their ID, and you should take the necessary training to be able to identify fake IDs as well.
• Overserving intoxicated customers: Just because a customer keeps asking for more drinks does not mean you have to keep serving them. In fact, you are legally expected to stop service if the customer is getting too intoxicated. Keep in mind that there’s a chance you could be legally liable for the actions of any intoxicated patron after they leave your establishment. Therefore, know the signs of intoxication and know when to cut someone off. If your establishment is linked to foul play or other undesirable outcome as a result of a drunk patron you overserved, your establishment’s liquor license is at risk of being revoked altogether.
• Being drunk on the job: It is illegal for your employees to be intoxicated while on the premises. It’s dangerous and highly unprofessional. If you’re going to be responsible for serving alcohol to others (and cutting them off when they’ve had enough), you need to have your wits about you.
• Selling during illegal hours: Every state and some local municipalities set their own rules regarding when alcohol can be sold. If you sell alcohol outside of the legally allowed hours, you run the risk of losing your liquor license.
• Poor recordkeeping: You must keep copies of all of your alcohol-related invoices, as well as copies of your liquor license. This recordkeeping is crucial for your business, because if any TABC agent decides to pay your business a visit, they’re going to want to see your license and those invoices as part of their inspection. An inability to comply will, at the very least, look very poor on your part, but could result in losing your liquor license.
• Not purchasing alcohol from a legal distributor: It’s important to be aware of all the alcohol distribution laws in Texas, as those laws are not necessarily the same from state to state. Texas has a three-tier system made up of retailers, distributors and manufacturers. You are only allowed to purchase alcohol from distributors as a retailer—you are not allowed to purchase directly from a manufacturer, or from another retailer. You can’t just go and pick up some beer at a grocery store if you run out of that specific brand during a shift—that’s illegal and could jeopardize your liquor license.
• Due to the COVID-19 outbreak in recent months, stricter TABC protocols concerning public health and safety have forced bars and restaurants to adhere to new guidelines. Following these mandates is imperative to avoid a liquor license suspension. Recently, various bars throughout Texas have been found in breach of compliance and have consequently been fined or issued a liquor license suspension notice. The severity and duration of a suspended liquor license can vary, but it’s best to figure out how to comply with these new mandates in order to not risk any additional harm to your business’ profit margin or reputation.

These are just a few examples of some of the most common mistakes made by restaurants and retail businesses that could lead to the loss of a Texas liquor license in Dallas, TX. For more information, contact LaBarba Permit Service today with any questions.