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The New York State Liquor Authority (SLA) summarily suspended the license of Rensselaer County bar O’Leary’s Tavern, located in Troy on 15th Street, following a special meeting on Tuesday, April 30.
Since then, the establishment has been barred from serving alcohol on the premises.
The move came days after SLA investigators went to O’Leary’s Friday night, April 26, and reportedly found numerous underage patrons. Members of the Troy Police Department and New York State Police were then called in and allegedly found dozens of patrons under the age of 21.
A total of 41 minors, seven of whom were 18 years old, admitted to drinking alcohol at the business that night.
O’Leary’s is charged with 42 violations of the Alcoholic Beverage Control law, with 41 violations for allegedly selling to a minor and another for failure to supervise.
Tuesday’s suspension was not the first time that the business has found itself in hot water; In 2019 its liquor license was summarily suspended after investigators allegedly found 29 minors drinking alcohol.
At the time, the license was held by Shawn Hughes, the father of current principal Jacob Hughes.
“Despite the State Liquor Authority’s repeated attempts to keep a well-known business in operation, the owner of O’Learys, after multiple warnings and attempts to correct prior mistakes, blatantly ignored the SLA’s attempts to help this business follow the Alcoholic Beverage Control Law,” said SLA Chair Lily Fan.
“Not only did the licensee not attempt to correct previous mistakes despite multiple promises to do so, they proved that the business couldn’t comply with the law and violations only got worse.”
The SLA clarified that its summary suspension is not a final determination on the merits of the case and that Hughes is entitled to a hearing before an administrative law judge.
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