Marco Island Restaurants



	Now that school is out for the summer, teenagers have plenty of idle time on their hands. Some of them tend to get into trouble, including acquiring fake identification cards which allow them to drink alcoholic beverages illegally. g According to Robyn Mortellito, the secretary for the Marco Chapter of the Florida Restaurant Association Marco Chapter, more than 50 percent of the restaurants, bars and nightclubs, grocery, convenience and package stores on Marco Island aren't certified by the Training for Intervention Procedures (TIPS) program. g Robyn Mortellito, standing at right, taught a Training for Intervention Procedures (TIPS) program to employees of Arturo’s Ristorante Italiano last weekend.

Mortellito, who also serves as a TIPS instructor, said that the program is taught in all 50 states and in over 30 countries worldwide. The program is designed to teach acceptable standards of practice for serving alcohol.

More than 1.5 million TIPS-trained servers, sellers and consumers across the United States serve or sell alcohol responsibly, Mortellito noted.

"I don't think they even know about it," she said. "TIPS is the most effective program for this."

She added that, unlike other server programs, TIPS is interactive and includes role playing.

State and federal law enforcement agencies cite TIPS as a valuable public safety tool. The program is often included in the drunk driving and underage drinking prevention programs of municipalities and state governments.

In March, Marco Island Police Department (MIPD) Capt. Thom Carr said that the island was experiencing too many incidents of illegal alcohol sales to people under 21 and intoxication of juveniles.

The MIPD took part in an island-wide sting operation on March 24 and 25 in conjunction with the Division of Alcohol, Beverage and Tobacco (ABT).
An intern working for the ABT went into several stores and bars and showed his identification that he was under 21.

"They still served him," Carr said. "This operation clearly told us that there is a problem with stores and bars selling to underage people."

Mortellito said that other restaurants and businesses have taken on the responsibility to protect their servers, bartenders, community and their patrons by training their staff in the TIPS program.

Mortellito has taught the program to restaurant employees of:
* Arturo's Ristorante Italiano
* House of Mozart
* Verdi's American Bistro
* Cocomo's
* Joey's Pizza and Pasta House
* Captain Brien's Seafood and Raw Bar
* Tara Steak and Lobster House
* Sushi Blues and Steaks
* Crazy Flamingo
* Bombay Club
* Reflections

Mortellito also said that if a TIPS-trained server was arrested, that person would show their TIPS certification card to the judge to show that he or she was "trained properly, passed the exam and took every reasonable effort to prevent serving an underage."

"If she didn't ask for ID, then shame on her because she knew," Mortellito added. "Or if she didn't check the ID properly and ask the proper questions."
A teenager with fake identification would want to memorize the information on the driver's license or birth certificate card.

As an example, if the license or card shows a birth date of Oct. 3, the server could ask the teenager what their sign is to determine if the identification is real or fake.

"If you're birthday is not in October, you're not going to be able to spit that right out," she noted.

The TIPS program costs a flat fee of $300 for a restaurant to be certified and $30 per employee for the state books, exams and processing.

After being certified, a restaurant pays $50 for each newly-employed server to be trained.

The program has received recognition from insurance companies, liquor boards, the alcoholic beverage industry and law enforcement agencies.

"Some policies may afford their insured a discount if all of their employees are certified," said Robert Hock, the administrative representative for Reflections Liquors Inc. "Overall, it's a very, very effective education program for even the most seasoned bartenders."

Jim Karl, owner of the company, said that the program is not mandatory on Marco Island.

"But it's advisable that managers subscribe to the TIPS program," he said.

Some insurance companies require that a restaurant's employees receive the TIPS certification. Some insurers will give establishments a discounted rate.
"In our case, we have a blanket insurance policy to cover it," Karl said. "My insurance does not require it or give me a discount."

Out-of-state servers need to retake the program if they move and work for a Florida-based company.

Mortellito recently taught a TIPS class for employees of Arturo's Ristorante Italiano.

"I wanted to make sure that our restaurant and our employees are knowledgeable about the problems that can happen with alcohol," said Judy Perez, co-owner of Arturo's.

She noted that other restaurants have had problems serving minors in the past.

"We wanted Arturo's to be a safe and friendly environment," Perez added.