Rumors on campus have some students wondering what their Marshall Street bar options will be next year. But only the owner of Konrad’s Sports Bar is uncertain about the future.

‘We haven’t decided what to do as far as the bar goes,’ said John Cadorette, owner of Konrad’s. ‘What we’ve been doing is obviously not working.’

In the seven raids that have occurred since the beginning of last year, Konrad’s has been involved in the sweep four times. Charges of fictitious or forged licenses against Konrad’s patrons accounted for 107 of the raids’ total 193.

Konrad’s is also linked to nine counts of alleged underage possession of alcohol, and the bar has nine charges against its bartenders for allegedly serving alcohol to underage patrons.

The New York State Liquor Authority, who declined to comment on the status of individual cases in the past, said that such allegations could result in fines or the invalidation or suspension of a bar’s liquor license.

Konrad’s efforts for change have not helped to effectively stem underage drinking, Cadorette said.

‘Weigh the issues from both sides: we’re caught in the middle,’ Cadorette said. ‘They’re going to put us out of business, and what’s that do?’

Lt. Shannon Trice of the Syracuse Police said Operation Prevent would strike once more before the end of the academic year, leading many to speculate whether or not a sweep would actually occur, or if the statement was just to instill doubt in students’ minds.

But the threat of the project could be beneficial for the student community, said Chris Raslan, general manager of Maggie’s Tavern.

‘What the authorities are trying to do is educate the establishments for the betterment of the student’s well-being,’ Raslan said. ‘It weeds through the bad and minimizes the use of fake IDs, and gets on negligent establishments to act responsibly. I commend them on doing a good job.’

At least six states, including New Jersey, issue licenses that cannot be scanned by Konrad’s $2,500 computer which is used to combat underage patrons. In these situations, Cadorette said that his employees can only consult a guide on authentic licenses and make a judgment call.

‘Well, you can take only so many hits. That’s all it comes down to,’ Cadorette said. ‘The states have us in a catch-22.’

Cadorette said that he would decide around the end of the month whether to keep the business open, but he felt targeted by the system.

‘There’s underage drinking in every bar up here. Not that it’s a good thing, but stuff just isn’t working,’ Cadorette said. ‘And where did it say in that grant, ‘only to be used at SU?’ If I’m not mistaken, it’s for the whole county.’

Roman’s Tavern, located on the periphery of the Armory Square area downtown, is the only bar raided under Operation Prevent not located on Marshall Street. In its raid, officers issued 44 charges of possessing a fictitious or fake license and 24 citations for underage possession of alcohol. LeMoyne College students, though, tend to frequent Roman’s, while Marshall Street sees an overwhelmingly orange crowd.

Syracuse police officers charged Anna’s Bar with violations, but not under the initiative of the Armory Square Bar Detail or Operation Prevent, Trice said.

Some bar owners believe that rumors of closing down their bars may stem from the bars themselves, as a way of scaring and shutting down the competition.

‘A couple of bars spread rumors to impact negatively on our business. But fortunately, we just finished remodeling the sound and light system,’ Raslan said. ‘Students are very intelligent, and can make their own analysis and come to their own conclusions.’

Other bar owners also felt no real threat of closing down any time soon because they have strong leases and good relations with the community.

‘The lease is not running out, and there’s no reason he wouldn’t renew it,’ said Ben Cook, co-owner of Lucy’s Retired Surfers Bar, who leased the building from the owner of Faegan’s Pub, with whom he is on good terms.

The future of Maggie’s Bar has also been questioned because of the construction of the new Martin J. Whitman School of Management across the street, but Raslan said such concerns were unfounded.

‘False, false, false. If that was the case, we would’ve been out of here five years ago,’ Raslan said, opening a side door to reveal the University College building that stands adjacent to the bar. ‘We have a legitimate lease: a strong, long-term lease.’

The opening of the new building actually provides an opportunity for the bar to expand its business to include deli-style sandwiches, soup and a salad bar during the day, as well as indoor and outdoor eating accommodations, depending on the weather, Raslan said.

‘We are in the process of putting that puzzle together, and it should be completed over the summer,’ Raslan said. ‘We have a respectable establishment among the community, which is the university, the authorities and the surrounding neighborhood.’

Published on April 14, 2004 at 12:00 pm