Hotel Greene

The group in question arrived separately. A couple arrived first at approximately 7pm, and placed the group onto the waitlist. Upon greeting the couple, I noted that they appeared to have been drinking before entering our premises, this is something we make sure to pay attention to, particularly on Saturday evenings. Using TIPS (Training for Intervention ProcedureS) training in identifying intoxicated persons, I made the decision that they were not yet too intoxicated to be served safely, and allowed them to place a drink order. It shall be noted of the couple, the woman was displaying more signs of inebriation than the man. As is our procedure, at this time I alerted my fellow servers and bartenders, so as to have additional eyes on the situation.The remainder of the group arrived approximately 30 minutes later. Upon arrival, the new guests ordered a round of drinks, the initial man ordered a second drink. It was during this time of witnessing the woman in question’s interaction with the rest of the group, that I noted that the visual and audial cues of intoxication were stronger and more noticeable, this included slurred speech, loss of fine motor coordination, and glazed eyes. It was at this time that I decided she was too intoxicated to place another drink order. However, she did not attempt to order another drink, and instead the group ordered food – a meat and cheese board. I then again, alerted my fellow service members that the woman in question was not to be served, updating the team on the situation.Shortly after the food was delivered, the woman in question attempted to order the same cocktail she had already consumed. She could not recall the name exactly, however this is typical that guests do not precisely remember the names of our Signature Cocktails, it is not something held against the guest, nor do we use it as an indication of intoxication.We uphold ABC regulation 4.1-304to the utmost importance, and enforce it more strictly and with more caution than many guests are accustomed to at other venues. Therefore, our procedure for cutting off guests is that it should come from either the Manger On Duty (MOD), or the bartender. Additionally, as we cannot ensure that the guest who has been cut off will not be given drinks “on the sly” by their friends; when one guest has been cut off, the entire group cannot be served. Due to the nature of our mini golf course, we do not allow guests to enter the course once deemed too intoxicated to be served. This is not only for the safety of the intoxicated guests, but also for the safety of those around them, as each guest on the course is equipped with a heavy metal putter.Given our procedure, acting as the Head Server for the evening, I “took” the drink order and went directly to our General Manager (acting as the MOD), so that she could inform the group that they were cut off, and unable to play the course. Upon this time the General Manager took control of the situation, her report is found below.*§ 4.1-304. Persons to whom alcoholic beverages may not be sold; proof of legal age; penalty. A. No person shall, except pursuant to subdivisions 1 through 5 of § 4.1-200, sell any alcoholic beverages to any individual when at the time of such sale he knows or has reason to believe that the individual to whom the sale is made is (i) less than 21 years of age, (ii) interdicted, or (iii) intoxicated. Any person convicted of a violation of this subsection is guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor.)MOD/ GM Report:At around 8:30pm my Front of House manager approached me and informed me there was a guest that was too intoxicated and needed to be cut off. She showed me which table and I approached the group. At the time, two members of the group had stepped away (not sure if they were in the restroom maybe) so I only spoke with 4 members. I let them know the situation, that their friend was too intoxicated to play the course because it would be a safety concern and that we were going to have to cut them off. I told them we were not trying to ruin their time, and they were more than welcomed to come back to see us another time and play the course but I was not able to let them on the course that night. They seemed to understand and I walked away.A few moments later, Ms. approached me to the side of the desk and asked me why I had cut her off. I explained that she was exhibiting signs of being too intoxicated and that I was concerned with her safety moving through our course. We have a few places while playing the course that could be considered a “trip hazard” if you are not fully coherent and aware of your surroundings. She pressed me to explain exactly what made her seem “too intoxicated” to us, and I explained again that even as she was speaking to me now her speech was slurred, eyes glazed, and I didn’t feel comfortable sending her on the course. She walked away.The group came up to the front desk to check out, but since it was a super busy Saturday night, the Front Desk attendant didn’t realize that they hadn’t played golf yet so the tab they had started at the beginning of the night still reflected the golf charges. The front desk asked if they were applying all the charges to the card on file with us, and the cardholder Rebecca said yes. They ran the card, and at that moment Ms. realized that the golf charges were still on there. She expressed her concern to the Front Desk about not playing golf and the Front Desk then went back, voided the original transaction, and re-ran the card for just the drinks and charcuterie board that were consumed by the group (totaling $***). They signed the receipt and walked away yet again. After a moment, Ms.’ friend came back up to the desk to speak with me. She asked for my full name, title, and the owner’s email address to which I provided right away. We did not apply gratuity to the charges as stated by Ms.. The total of $*** is the $*** for the 7 drinks and 1 charcuterie board ordered by the group, plus $*** in taxes.At the end of the day, we are responsible for all of our guest's safety and security, and we will not put our other guests at risk by allowing overly-intoxicated guests to be on the course. By choosing to enter an establishment that is 21 and over, you are actively choosing to take part in an adult activity, therefore choosing to take personal responsibility for your own actions as an adult- that includes being responsible for your own level of intoxication, as you are choosing to consume alcoholic beverages, and thereby choosing to be subject to ABC laws and regulations regarding such actions.VANNA DGeneral ManagerHOTEL GREENE508 E. Franklin StreetRichmond, VA 23219