Palo Alto Liquor Store License Suspended Indefinitely Over Repeated Sales To Minors

PALO ALTO (CBS SF) – State officials have indefinitely suspended the license of a liquor store in Palo Alto this week, over repeated alcohol sales to minors.

The California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control announced Wednesday that it posted a Notice of Suspension at Ernie’s Liquors located at 3870 El Camino Real and alcohol sales at the establishment are prohibited.

ABC suspends the alcoholic beverage license of Ernie’s Liquors in Palo Alto for selling alcohol to minors, including a 15-year-old. Their license has been ordered revoked, with the revocation stayed for six months to allow for an ownership transfer. https://t.co/2Yh3snKKyJ pic.twitter.com/H0mVzoilR3

— CaliforniaABC (@CA_ABC) February 3, 2021

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Officials said in a statement that Ernie’s sold alcohol to 10 different minors between September 2019 and September 2020. One of the minors was 15-years-old.

Alcoholic Beverage Control has ordered the license revoked, with the revocation stayed for six months to allow for ownership to be transferred.

Last month, the department suspended the license of a Safeway store in Berkeley for 45 days after reportedly selling alcohol to minors three times over a two week span. The store will be on probation for one year, opening the door for further disciplinary action if there is an additional violation.