Considering A Dram Shop Claim Against The End Zone Sports Bar & Grill? Here's What You Need To Know
I have sued more bars for irresponsible alcohol service in the last thirty years than anyone else in Texas. Having handled hundreds of cases, I can attest to just how widespread the practice of over-serving customers is. 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 the interest of helping the general public see the real extent of this problem, I spend a portion of my time researching the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission's record of complaints and posting about my findings here on my website. If you think you might have a dram shop (liquor liability) case, don't hesitate to call me at (855) 326-0000.
The End Zone Sports Bar & Grill is located in Houston, Texas. Many people know it for being featured on the television show "Bar Rescue", after which its popularity increased substantially. However, along the way to its newfound success, it has also managed to attract a significant amount of attention from the TABC due to complaints alleging liquor law violations. Over just a three-year period, authorities investigated alcohol service practices at The End Zone Sports Bar & Grill no fewer than six times.
In my experience, it is 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 evidence that a bar has broken the law. Investigators must have sufficient proof that there was a violation of TABC regulations in order to take legal action. Owing to the nature of liquor law violations, that proof can often be difficult for authorities to obtain. The purpose of this article is simply to relay publicly-available information about incidents where the TABC has investigated The End Zone Sports Bar & Grill for possible criminal or administrative violations.
TABC Investigations of The End Zone Bar & Grill Between 2016 and 2019
Houston - 15209 Wertheimer Suite 100
Allegations:
On 11/03/2016, a concerned citizen filed a complaint with the TABC, claiming that the bar sold alcohol to an obviously intoxicated patron.
Authorities looked into the matter, but were unable to turn up any proof of wrongdoing. For most liquor law violations, the TABC requires either video footage or eyewitness testimony from one of its agents in order to take action. Having neither in this particular instance, agents decided to close this case on 12/15/2016.
A member of the Houston community reached out to the TABC on 06/26/2017 and alleged that staff was drinking on the job, sold alcohol to a minor, delivered more alcohol to a patron who was already drunk, and that the bar permitted a staff member to possess or sell drugs on the premises. While all of these would be considered violations, the first one is more serious than it might appear on the surface. Staff has a legal obligation to stop serving alcohol to patrons who exhibit signs of being dangerously intoxicated. If the staff itself is drinking, its ability to perform this essential function is compromised.
The TABC conducted an investigation, but failed to turn up any proof of a criminal or administrative violation. On 08/13/2017, authorities closed the case without taking further action.
On 11/30/2017, a citizen complaint charged the bar with serving alcohol to a customer under the age of 21.
The ensuing investigation was not successful at uncovering any evidence of wrongdoing. As a result, authorities stopped working on this case on 01/20/2018.
The next citizen complaint came on 05/04/2018, alleging that the bar sold alcohol to an underage patron, permitted the possession of drugs on the premises, sold alcohol to an intoxicated customer, and sold alcohol during prohibited hours.
Authorities subsequently investigated, however, they did not find any hard evidence of wrongdoing. Unable to take any further action, the TABC shut this case on 06/20/2018.
Yet another citizen complaint, filed on 08/20/2018, claimed that the bar sold alcohol during prohibited hours.
As in the previous investigations of this bar, the TABC had no video evidence of a violation and thus could not confirm the veracity of the claim. On 10/20/2018, the investigation came to an end without further action.
A law enforcement complaint, dated 02/08/2019, charged that the bar sold alcohol to an underage customer.
The TABC followed up with an investigation shortly thereafter, however it did not turn up any video footage to back up the allegation. Even when the source of a complaint is a cop, it's not enough for the TABC to issue a citation. On 04/01/2019, the case came to a close.
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.
