Alcohol seized from Strip District bar Savoy, owner arrested
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A Strip District restaurant was raided last week and its owner arrested on misdemeanor charges, according to police and court records.
Officers from the state Bureau of Liquor Control Enforcement received several tips that Savoy on Penn Avenue was operating without a valid liquor license. Officers said the situation was confirmed through undercover visits. They enlisted the help of Pittsburgh and state police to raid the establishment on Friday.
They reported confiscating about 12 gallons of malt or brewed beverages and 277 liters of liquor.
Owner Charles Sanders, 57, of Wexford, was charged with unlawful sales of liquor and unlicensed consumption of malt or brewed beverages on the premises. He is free on his own recognizance. He could not immediately be reached and did not have an attorney listed in online court records. A July 14 preliminary hearing is set.
The establishment’s liquor license expired on May 31, according to Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board records.
It’s the second time in six months Savoy has been the target of undercover visits and confiscation of alcohol.
In December, authorities seized 116 gallons of malt or brewed alcohol and about 1,035 liters of liquor and wine from Savoy, according to police. The establishment had its liquor license suspended Oct. 29 after violations of a conditional license.
Savoy also faced action from Allegheny County Health Department inspectors, being ordered to shut down in September and November, according to inspection records. Those closures were related to inspectors finding that the restaurant was not following restrictions meant to slow the spread of the coronavirus.
Several food safety and general sanitation issues were found during a health department inspection in January, according to inspection records. The majority of those issues were rectified by an April inspection.