New deal would make Surdyk's owner pay more, but close for fewer days

Minneapolis liquor store owner Jim Surdyk will pay a larger fine but face a shorter license suspension than previously suggested as punishment for opening his doors on a Sunday in March, nearly four months before the new Sunday liquor sales law takes effect.

Under a new proposed deal with the city, Surdyk will pay a $50,000 fine and Surdyk's Liquor in northeast Minneapolis will be closed on three Sundays — July 2, 9 and 16 — according to Minneapolis City Council documents.

Surdyk served customers all day on Sunday, March 12, despite being asked twice by city licensing officials to shut down. The Legislature in March voted to end a 159-year-old ban on Sunday liquor store sales. The first Sunday of legal sales is set for July 2.

The city's Community Development and Regulatory Services Committee will vote on the revised settlement Tuesday.

A previous tentative settlement included a $6,000 fine and a 10-day suspension, but the committee rejected that plan in April, calling it too lenient.

According to state law, the city can revoke an establishment's liquor license or suspend it for up to 60 days if the business doesn't follow rules related to alcoholic beverages.

Surdyk's, started in 1934 by Jim Surdyk's Polish grandfather Joseph Surdyk, is a northeast Minneapolis landmark. Ten years ago, Jim Surdyk told the Star Tribune that the store's annual sales were $25 million.

If the committee approves the proposal, it will go before the City Council on May 26. Surdyk would have to pay the fine by May 31.

Erin Adler • 612-673-1781