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Community Corner

Strong Opinions About Night Club, Celebrity Serving, Following the Rules

There are plenty of strong opinions out there as EvenFlow Music & Spirits nears its 1:30 p.m. Friday, Sept. 20, hearing before Geneva's liquor commissioner.

There are plenty of strong opinions out there as EvenFlow Music & Spirits nears its 1:30 p.m. Friday, Sept. 20, hearing before Geneva's liquor commissioner, Mayor Kevin Burns.

Some folks believe the city is enforcing liquor laws too stringently, strangling business initiative and being too "provincial." Other folks feel that rules are rules, and there for good reason, and there shouldn't be any special exceptions for celebrities. Other folks ask on what planet the folks arrested for public drunkenness would be considered celebrities.


Here's some of the reaction from the article: Jenny McCarthy Celebrity Bash After-Party Lands EvenFlow in Hot Water



Geneva Patch Facebook Comments


  • Suzanne Theuns Hope they catch a break here — they are one of Geneva's newest and most exciting additions to our downtown. The circumstances were a little bit out of the ordinary for our community. Lets just move on.

  • Kimme Johnson Bartenders and owners that ignore the laws got Even Flow in trouble. One violation, OK cut them a break. Two violations, now they're pushing it. Third violation, come on, really? Get your act together before you lose your liquor license.

  • Amy Curione Great establishment... let's support them by learning the facts and moving on.

  • Laura Woolley You have drunken celebrities in your midst. How quaint. Hope this all works out - I like to see local businesses succeed.

Batavia Patch Facebook Page



  • Alma Karas Eric did you see this?


  • Eric Karas I wouldn't call those people celebrities. Except for her I haven't heard of them


  • Kathy Tumminaro In the newspaper it said that mark wahlberg was also cited. I'm sorry to hear that this place is being so careless.. It's a nice place.


  • Jim Saldana Nice place but rude management


  • Eric Anderson Yes- lets scare Jenny out of town by being narrow minded and provincial. Jeez, let people have a little fun.


  • Amy Curione Everyone learn the facts and time to move on to real issues, Geneva!


  • Laura Parteka Who cares. Really.


  • Gregory M Hawley Sounds like a great party!! Time to change that silly ordinance



Geneva Patch Comments



Mike In what universe are these people 'celebrities'? I've never heard of any of them. Tom Hanks, now that's a celebrity. I don't recall him puking on his shoes on 3rd street while filming Road to Perdition. You know why? Hanks has class. Throw the book at these Hollywood D-listers and tell them to learn some manners before they come back.

Elaine Lane 
Apparently, the same universe that Rick lives in, Mike. Jenny is one of his faves.....

Julie 
Well thank goodness, Mike! I just can't get over how some people think the law should apply to some, but not others. To me, it's quite simple: Follow the law and there will be no trouble. CHOOSE to break the law and one must realize there are consequences if they are caught. Give me a break that Evenflow is going to close because they aren't allowed to break the law from time to time. If anything, I won't go there because who knows what other laws they are breaking. I've only been there two times and each of these exhibited terribly slow service. One one visit, our last, we waited over 20 minutes for our check and our server was no where to be found and we had to ask someone else to help us. Now that will cause such an establishment to not do well, not officers doing their job. What if they did nothing and then someone ended up getting hurt or hurting someone else? Then the cops would again be the bad guys who didn't do their job. Cry me a river, Evenflow. Obey the law.

Kyle 
I know it's wishful thinking and maybe over the top but I say SHUT EM DOWN! They have no respect for the city laws and have chosen to repeatedly disregard them. As a previous poster stated, who knows what other laws are being broken! They don't fit the Geneva image when their music thumps out the front door at 11pm and you can't walk by without being overcome by the cigarette smoke that's engulfed the sidewalk....NOT 15 feet from the doors. That building is way too nice to be used for a night club anyway.

Tom Brown 
Kyle: Yeah, shut em down! I can't wait to see 302 W. State street empty for another 5 years. It will look so nice across from the still not done Merra Lee building. While I do think this incident deserves some sort of action, it's also true that "public drunkeness" at 5 in the morning can hardly be much of a bother to the community. Again, I'll say it. Manage this and let this club be a club. Don't push this business out of town because of some minor issues like this. They want to have a party? 1. Notify the liquor commissioner and get permission. 2. Limit the number of parties. 3. Provide transport for the attendees. I've noticed a bit of attitude and creepy vibe to the self-important and immature management at this place. They need to be made into honest cowboys. They're young and think they're rock-stars just because they book a few bands. They're also doing some things right. I think they provide a nice mix for the business district of Geneva. I'd like to see them stay around. For that to happen, Geneva needs to be a little more tolerant or maybe change a few things and Evenflow needs to wake up to the fact that any bar anywhere in Illinois has liquor laws to contend with and they are strict for a reason. There is only so far any community will go to keep a place like this.

Kyle 
Tom, I could probably agree with what you're saying. They need stronger management to keep them in check and there are probably some guidelines that can be reached that work in everyone's favor. I'm just not sure if they will, considering they've broken the law 3 times in such a short period of time. I agree that it would be a shame for such a beautiful building at such a major corner to sit empty. Merra Lee is a non issue, it HAS taken forever to be finished but it will be soon. The smokers all congregated out on 3rd street in front of EvenFlow still really botherS me. There are other bars along 3rd and I don't see it in front of those establushments like I see it at this establishment.

peter davis 
Pete Yes their should be a penalty, but not to shut them down. We should be glad that's the only thing that happened, we could have shootings, muggings and people being robbed. This use to go on years ago and never caused a problem. let's not make so many laws and restriction that are freedoms start being taken away for people who are trying to run a business. Look at Swedish days we have beer gardens and bring in people from all over to spend there money here and we go in to these beer gardens or bars and try to bust them for under age drinking but we invite these people here to spend there money. Come on that is totally wrong. Loosen up!

Julie 
it's NOT totally wrong to make sure people are abiding by the law. Wow, this mentality amazes me. Maybe I'm nuts, but I am thankful for laws that keep things safe and honest. If people are drinking that are underage, I would do nothing short of personally thanking those that put a stop to their behavior. Too bad for the ones too ignorant/greedy to check an I.D. I was young once too and now that I have my own children, I can only hope that if they tried to consume alcohol before the age of 21 in a public place, the server would ask them for I.D. I can't imagine any parent would hope that the police and bars would just loosen up and serve them. WHAT??? I'm pretty darn sure ALL bars have laws/ordinances that they are expected to follow. Smart, successful business owners obey laws.

Julie 
Better yet, freedom lovers, how about this scenario: Sorry Mr. & Mrs. So and So, your 19 year old son/daughter went to Swedish Days with their friends and were served alcohol at a bar. It appears that they weren't asked to show I.D. While driving home, your child was killed along w/one other teen in the car. Sorry this happened, but in order to draw folks to Geneva to spend their money, we loosened up on the law so bars could make a buck. And while two young people are dead just because ONE server didn't have the brains to mutter the words, "Can I see your ID" we do want you to feel better knowing that there are no shootings, muggings or robberies taking place in the town of Geneva. Oh, and I'm sure Peter Davis, the driver of the other car that was innocently hit by the DUI teen, who can never expect to walk again won't attempt to sue you, your insurance company or the establishment who served the teens. He understands this is his price to pay so that Geneva can have both successful crowds at Swedish Days AND successful businesses. LET FREEDOM RING!!!!!!!!!!

Rob Brundige 
I wouldn't shut them down, but I'd give them a hefty fine. I've personally have never been there, and have no plans to go in the near future, just not my kind of place. If Jenny wanted an after party, why didn't she just invite her guests back to her home? I think the "public intoxication" fines were a little silly, fine the establishment, not the party goers, for all they knew, they were not aware of doing anything illegal.

ABT1820 
Evenflow is not my favorite place in Geneva...however it looks much better than an empty building. Agreed tho, must follow the law. doh


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