Jan 8, 2013 3 min read

Paperwork is all that remains of violations filed by the Pennsylvania Bureau of Liquor Control against a liquor license held in the name of Pat’s Pub and Restaurant, 2035 E. Roy Furman Highway, Carmichaels.

According to Earl Killion, liquor control enforcement officer with the Pennsylvania Bureau of Liquor Control Enforcement in Pittsburgh, the liquor license for Pat’s Pub and Restaurant is owned by Pat Burns of Waynesburg. Burns closed Pat’s Pub and Restaurant several years ago but maintained ownership of the building and the liquor license. In April 2007, a new establishment, Boondocs Bar and Grille, began operating at the location under Burn’s license with a new owner, Sharon Hughes of Carmichaels.

The charges against Pat’s Pub and Restaurant stated Burns was not the only person with financial interest in the operation of the licensed business and he failed to provide the liquor control board with information regarding the involvement of Hughes in the operation of such licensed business.

Killion said the charges were against the license, not Burns nor Hughes.

Reached by phone on Tuesday, Hughes said she was surprised when the complaint was filed. She was under the assumption that the liquor board was aware of the arrangement with Burns for the past five years and there was nothing that needed to be done.

Hughes said paperwork is currently in progress to have the license switched into her name.

“It is being legally switched over right now,” she said. “It has already been approved, and now it is a matter of how long it takes for the paperwork to be completed. It was nothing I was previously aware of or that Pat was aware of.”

Killion said there have been several cases of license holders leasing their license to another person with or without the knowledge that under the law it is not permissible. He did not say if this was the case with Burns’ license.

According to the Bureau of Liquor Control website, a transfer of license from person-to-person must be completed by contacting the bureau and paying an administrative fee of $650. An establishment that changes the management it operates under must contact the bureau for approval and pay a fee of $135 to cover background checks of the proposed manager.

If the matter had gone before an administrative law judge, fines would have fallen into the lower range of $50 to $1,000 as they were considered to be minor, Killian said.

“This had nothing to do with the bar or our patrons,” Hughes said. “I have never had any violations against my bar. I am very proud of that.”