TGI Fridays is being fined for being stingy with its alcohol. Eight of the chain restaurants in the state of New Jersey will have to pay a $500,000 total fine to the state for serving bottom-shelf alcohol to customers who ordered drinks with premium liquor.
The restaurants, run by hospitality franchise company Briad Group, will have to pay $400,000 for the violations and another $100,000 for the investigative costs for the state's "Operation Swill" sting, the Los Angeles Times reports.
New Jersey's Division of Alcoholic Beverage Control raided 29 restaurants and seized 1,000 bottles of alcohol, according to the state's Acting Atty. Gen. John Hoffman. Hoffman says the fine should serve as a warning to other restaurants to not pull the same scam.
Although 13 TGI Fridays were suspected of pulling the scam, they weren't the only ones. Ruby Tuesday and Applebee's restaurants were also raided.
In May, officials found bottles that were filled with a mixture of dirty water, rubbing alcohol and caramel coloring. It was sold as scotch.
The eight TGI Fridays that were fined agreed to have a state-appointed monitor through June 2014.
The Briad group said it a statement that they are pleased that a settlement was reached and they promised to ensure that the problem doesn't continue.
"In addition to the settlement, we have also made operational adjustments, initiated new training programs and redoubled our efforts to ensure that all of our restaurants adhere to Fridays' extensive bar and beverage standards," the company said according to USA Today. "We believe these actions will result in even higher customer satisfaction and a strengthened level of trust."
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