Considering A Dram Shop Case Against Stadia Sports Grill? Here's What You Need To Know

For three decades, I've been holding bars accountable for over-serving alcohol. In the hundreds of cases I've handled, I've seen just how widespread irresponsible alcohol service is, as well as the tragedies that often follow in its wake. While people might see or hear about drunk driving accidents from time to time, rarely do they hear about the role that reckless bars play in those accidents. In order to draw more attention to this issue, I dedicate a portion of my time to investigating the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission's complaint records and reporting my findings here on my website. If you believe you may have a dram shop claim, please call my office at (855) 326-0000.

Stadia Sports Grill is a chain of restaurants with three locations in Texas. In recent years, it has attracted the attention of the TABC due to allegations of liquor law violations. In 2019 alone, authorities conducted four separate investigations into the chain's alcohol service practices.

In my experience, it's uncommon for a bar without a history of run-ins with the TABC to end up on the hook for contributing to a wrongful death or injury. Virtually every bar I have ever sued was already on the authorities' radar. That's why I pay close attention to bars with several recent complaints against them. The more investigations a bar has had, the greater my concern is that it could one day contribute to an accident.

Note: Investigations are not proof of wrongdoing. However, if authorities investigate and fail to find evidence of a violation, it doesn't necessarily mean an establishment is innocent, either. The purpose of this article is simply to relay publicly-available information about incidents where the TABC has investigated Stadia Sports Grill for criminal or administrative violations.

TABC Investigations of Stadia Sports Grill in 2019

Pearland - 1853 Pearland Parkway '135'

Allegations:

On 01/07/2019, a concerned citizen filed a complaint with the TABC, alleging that staff was drinking on the job and allowed a minor to possess or consume alcohol.

Upon investigation, authorities were able to determine that staff sold alcohol to a minor, which they classified as both an administrative and criminal violation. After handing down an unspecified penalty, the TABC closed the case on 01/31/2019.

A member of the Pearland community reached out to the TABC on 07/11/2019, claiming that staff sold alcohol to a minor.

Authorities looked into the matter shortly thereafter. For most liquor law violations, the TABC requires either video footage of the incident or eyewitness testimony from one of its agents in order to take action. Having neither in this investigation, authorities decided to close the case on 08/20/2019.

The TABC received a citizen complaint on 08/20/2019, accusing staff of drinking on the job and selling alcohol to a minor.

As mentioned in the previous investigation summary, the TABC relies heavily on video footage to back up most claims of wrongdoing. Since authorities had no such evidence in this investigation, they could not take any action, leading to their decision to close the case on 11/12/2019.

Pearland - 11200 Broadway Suite 947

Allegtion:

The next citizen complaint to reach the TABC came on 08/22/2019, alleging that the staff sold alcohol to a minor.

TABC agents conducted an inquiry, but due to a lack of video evidence, they could not determine the veracity of the claim. As a result, investigators could not take any further action, leading to their decision to close the case on 10/09/2019.

Texas Law Says Accident Victims Can Sue Bad Bars

If you would like to learn more about Texas dram shop law (i.e. lawsuits against bars who play a role in injurious or fatal accidents), please visit our Texas Dram Shop Law Info Page.