Liquor license suspended at Pearl Restaurant & Lounge

The state Liquor Authority has suspended the liquor license for the Pearl Restaurant and Lounge in downtown Albany.  The suspension comes one week after compliance inspection ended with four bartenders  and dozens of underage students arrested.

During the undercover operation last week SLA investigators say approximately 200 of the 300 patrons at the Pearl were underage,  and many of them were purchasing alcohol from bartenders without showing any ID, according to Bill Crowley, spokesman for the State Liquor Authority.

Crowley says that the license the Pearl had was for a restaurant, not a nightclub which they appeared to be operating at night.

After interviewing Timothy Rankins, the owner of the Pearl, SLA investigators determined that the majority of the staff that works at the Pearl works off the books and are not licensed bouncers.

Rankins was charged with six violations of the Alcoholic Beverage Control laws, and can bring his case to an administrative law judge to address the alleged violations.

The inspection was prompted by a concerned citizen who told the DA's office that the Pearl was soliciting underage patrons by providing bus rides to the bar and letting them enter with only a valid college id card.

The Pearl was find $3,500 back in May of 2007 for three violations, including offering an unlimited drink special.