Flanagan's prepares to close its doors on Saturday

By NICHOLAS LEDDEN - The Daily Inter Lake

Known for its ability to attract big name acts, Flanagan's Central Station in Whitefish built a solid reputation with music fans around the Flathead Valley.

But the club also gained notoriety among law enforcement circles for a much different reason: its ability to rack up liquor law violations.

And after being cited eight times in the last three years, Flanagan's is set to close its doors for the final time Saturday.

Owner Jim Flanagan has long claimed Whitefish and Flathead County law enforcement officials have targeted his club.

"By their own words, apparently, city officials did not want myself or my business here," said Flanagan, referencing articles published in the Flathead Beacon and Whitefish Pilot in which a Whitefish city government official portrayed the bar's closing as a positive thing.

However, the law enforcement officials Flanagan says gave undue attention to his club deny any unfair treatment.

"At no time did I feel the Whitefish Police Department was picking on Jim Flanagan or his bar," said Whitefish Assistant Chief Mike Ferda. "He made no attempt to rectify things," he said, adding that the present outcome is one nobody wanted. "It's entirely on his hands."

Flathead County Alcohol Enforcement Team coordinator Det. Travis Bruyer also said his team made no effort to single Flanagan out.

"It's not that he was ever targeted," Bruyer said. "He had the opportunity early on to train his staff and he never did."

"We could have all the enforcement we want, but if we don't have the training, what does it count," he added.

Flanagan says he tried to maintain a dialogue with city officials and made attempts to fix the problems, like firing the bartenders cited for serving after hours and signing up for alcohol sales education classes, which ultimately were never attended.

"We made ourselves open to the police," Flanagan said. "I don't want illegal activity going on in my place. That's the last thing I want as a business owner."

As head of the Alcohol Enforcement Team, Bruyer conducts quarterly compliance checks on Flathead County businesses that sell alcohol. During those checks, an underage person is sent into a bar or liquor store to try and purchase alcohol with their real ID, which shows that they are under 21.

Bruyer began intensive, valleywide rounds of compliance checks in 2005.

"When we started with compliance checks, we did everyone the same," Bruyer said, noting that every time Flanagan's was checked, so was every other bar in the area.

Flanagan's failed compliance checks four times, and was cited in November 2005, December 2005, February 2006, and November 2006 for selling alcohol to minors.

Then on Sept. 4, 2006, the club was cited for remaining open after 2 a.m. and after-hours alcohol sales. It was hit again with the same two offenses four days later.

The violations prompted the Montana Department of Revenue to issue a revocation notice for the club's liquor license in January of this year.

But Flanagan and state officials were able to reach an agreement allowing him to sell, rather than lose, that license by Oct. 1.

He took the deal because he couldn't chance losing the capital invested in the license should the verdict at the hearing go against him, Flanagan said.

"I want to do business in this state," Flanagan said. "I want to still live in the state of Montana."

"There is a guilty before you are proven innocent type situation here," he said. "I can't risk everything I've worked for."

He has since found a buyer for that license, Flanagan said. He declined to name who.

Flanagan now plans to open a similar music venue in Missoula.

"I hope to be able to bring that same high level of entertainment and production value to Missoula," he said. "I'm trying to take the high road out of town."

Reporter Nicholas Ledden can be reached at 758-4441 or by e-mail at nledden@dailyinterlake.com