Bismarck Tribune

By JENNYMICBy JENNYMICHAEL

Four Bismarck restaurants were told to quit serving alcohol until they received current alcoholic beverage licenses from the state, police say.

The Bismarck Police Department received a letter from the state attorney general's office informing police that four Bismarck businesses had not gotten their 2007 state retail alcoholic beverage licenses, said Lt. Dan Donlin.

Officers went to The Walrus, 1136 N. Third St.; Pizza Hut, 825 E Broadway Ave.; Pizza Hut, 2020 N. 12th St.; and China Star, 1065 E Interstate Ave. on Tuesday to inform management at the restaurants that they needed to stop serving alcoholic beverages until they secure 2007 licenses, Donlin said.

The attorney general's office also sent letters to the businesses, Donlin said.

Liz Brocker, a spokeswoman for the attorney general's office, said The Walrus' new state retail alcoholic beverages license was effective as of Wednesday, so the restaurant can serve alcoholic beverages again. However, the other three restaurants still are not allowed to serve alcohol, she said.

Both Pizza Hut locations have submitted incomplete applications for new licenses, Brocker said. She said both locations have new managers, and any new managers must have criminal background checks for businesses to get new licenses.

China Star submitted everything necessary for a new license except a completed application form, Brocker said. She said China Star also could not renew its license because its corporation is not in good standing with the secretary of state's office.

New China Star Inc. is not in good standing because it has not filed an annual report with the North Dakota Secretary of State, said Sue Rask, an administrative assistant in the secretary of state's office.

Rask said all corporations were required to submit annual reports to the secretary of state by Aug. 1, 2006. Rask said New China Star Inc. sent an annual report, but it was sent back for corrections. A corrected report has not been filed, she said.

According to the North Dakota Century Code, any person engaging in the sale of alcoholic beverages at retail without proper state and local licenses is guilty of a Class Amisdemeanor. Class Amisdemeanors are punishable by up to one year in prison and fines of up to $2,000.

Bismarck City Attorney Charlie Whitman said Thursday afternoon that he had not seen reports about the businesses selling alcohol without updated licenses. He did not know whether charges would be filed against the businesses, and he said it would depend on the circumstances surrounding why the businesses did not have their 2007 licenses.

(Reach reporter Jenny Michael at 250-8225 or jenny.michael@;bismarcktribune.com.)