Panchos Gets Liquor License Suspended, Hours Reduced
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — A consistent string of incidents at Panchos Mexican Restaurant has led to a seven-day liquor license suspension and reduced hours.
On Monday, the Licensing Board heard of more than 10 disturbances at the North Street eatery since August that included projectile vomiting and talk of a gun. The events began to occur only months after Panchos reduced hours because of a "large-scale disturbance" earlier in the year were lifted.
Most of the reports were of intoxicated fighting outside of the establishment after midnight.
"I feel sad because I try to do the best I can do," manager Gabriel Columna said.
After more than an hour of testimony, the board voted in favor of the suspension and mandated that the restaurant has last call at 11:30 p.m. and closes at midnight until February. Last March, it had been ordered to temporarily reduce hours and was given a weeklong suspension that was held in abeyance.
"For me, as I listened to all of this, clearly the issues are all the other bars in Berkshire County are closed before 2 o'clock [a.m.] and clearly everyone realizes the only place open is Ponchos and that's where everybody gravitates to," board member Dennis Powell said.
"And they could could be bringing issues with them."
Chairman Thomas Campoli said the restaurant needs to find a "sweet spot" that allows it to keep some late-night business and avoid problems "because we want this to succeed." The board may consider pushing the last call to midnight and closing to 12:30 in February.
"We've got to rein it in," board member Kathy Amuso said. "It's not right what's going on in Panchos or even outside of Panchos."
Police officers detailed the 10 recorded incidents that happened between Aug. 27 and Dec. 2 as well as an incident over the weekend. Officer Michael Doyle said he sits nearby the bar in his cruiser beginning at midnight because most of the calls he gets are at Panchos.
The calls were Aug. 27 around 1 a.m., Sept. 17 around 2 a.m., Sept. 23 around 1:45 a.m., Sept. 30 around 1:30 a.m., Oct. 28 around midnight, Nov. 4 around 1:30 a.m., Nov. 18 around 1 a.m., Nov. 25 around 2:30 a.m., and Dec. 2 around 1:30 a.m.
On Nov. 19, a woman came to the police station saying she had been struck by another woman in Panchos on Nov. 17.
"Some of these incidents are bad," Campoli said.
On Nov. 4, a person waved their arms at Doyle across the street to tell him that there were two parties attempting to fight in front of the restaurant who were too intoxicated to communicate with. One of the parties "projective vomited," the officer said.
"It was a scary disturbance," he said. "The level of intoxication was high and there were severe threats made to other people's well-being."
Other reports included arguing, assault and possible injuries.
Capt. Matthew Hill reported that this past Saturday around 12:30 a.m., an officer was monitoring Panchos when three men were involved in a disturbance that needed additional police assistance before peace was restored.
"One thing notable with this call is the individual with a female was daring the other individual to pull his firearm out of his waistband," Doyle said.
Columna's attorney Loretta Mach said there is a remarkable increase in people at Panchos between midnight and 12:30 a.m. that either come from another establishment or drinking at home and some loiter on the street instead of entering.
She reported that people are cut off if they seem intoxicated and the door is locked at 1 a.m.
"I know there's good business happening late at night but I told Mr. Columna this is a pattern, there's a problem here with intoxicated people being in the street and what you're doing isn't working," she said.
The owner offered to have last call at 12:20 a.m., to stop serving at 12:30 a.m., have music until 1 a.m., and to close down by 1:30 a.m.
Staff members and Columna's son attended the hearing to speak in support of the licensee, explaining that people barhop and bartenders do not over-serve.
"We apologize for anything that doesn't look well but we really are trying as a team and trying to be a part, like I said, of this community," a staff member said.
Earlier on Dec. 2, police came to Panchos and had what both parties said was a productive discussion and were glad to learn that they had upped security.
Hill reiterated the importance of calling the police, adding that calling and being cooperative works for an establishment, not against it. He also suggested re-evaluating its hours since the disturbances were happening late at night.
"We're happy to go there and kind of put the fire out before it kind of gets out of control," he said.
Mach said she hopes the restaurant can stay in business, as there are reportedly usually 10 to 15 people there at midnight.
Tags: alcohol license, license suspension,
