Toronto bar could lose liquor licence after customer served 14 beers and later died falling down stairs - Toronto Star

The bar continued to serve the patron alcohol after they became intoxicated, according to an AGCO investigation.

A patron at the bar was served 14 23-ounce beers over about five-and-a-half hours on April 11, and they later fell in a stairwell leading to the washroom, the AGCO said.

A St. Louis Bar & Grill in midtown Toronto may lose its liquor licence in the wake of a probe into a patron’s death in the spring.

The Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) issued a Notice of Proposal for a 60-day suspension of the liquor sales licence of the St. Louis Bar & Grill at 11 St. Clair Avenue West, the commission said in a news release Thursday.

The proposed suspension stems from an investigation into the service of alcohol to a patron who later died after falling down a staircase at the bar, according to the AGCO.

The patron was served 14 23-ounce beers — the equivalent of more than 21 standard drinks — over about five-and-a-half hours on April 11, the commission said in the release. The patron later fell in a stairwell leading to the washroom, the AGCO said.

The bar allowed the patron to remain on the premises and continued to serve them alcohol after they became intoxicated, the regulator’s investigation found. As a result of its probe, the AGCO is alleging that the licensee violated the Liquor Licence and Control Act (LLCA) of 2019 and its regulations.

A licensee served with a Notice of Proposal has the right to appeal within 15 days to the Licence Appeal Tribunal (LAT), an adjudicative body that’s part of Tribunals Ontario and is independent of the AGCO. 

The LLCA prohibits the sale or supplying of alcohol to someone who is or who appears to be intoxicated. It also prohibits allowing intoxication to occur on the licensed premises or in adjacent areas under the exclusive control of the licensee.

The manager of the bar at 11 St. Clair Avenue West, who would only identify himself as Brendan, declined to comment except to say the bar was still operating. He appeared to be unaware of the proposed suspension when the Star reached him over the phone at the location. 

The Star has also reached out to Aegis Brands, the parent company of St. Louis Bar & Grill, but has yet to receive a reply.

Joshua Smith is a staff reporter with the Toronto Star. He can be reached at joshuasmith@thestar.ca.