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Southside Johnny’s Bar and Grill in west end Toronto offers a great menu and serves up fun times via live music. But this eatery is also in a heap of trouble right now.

That’s because the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) has moved to revoke the restaurant’s liquor licence. Last month, the AGCO publicly announced that after an investigation, the regulator had concluded that “the licensee and a manager were repeatedly and knowingly involved in the purchase of stolen liquor for use at their bar, as well as for personal use.”

In the aftermath, the AGCO has issued a Notice of Proposal to remove the liquor sales licence for Southside Johnny’s. That could very well prove to be a death sentence for this restaurant.

Of course, there are two sides to every story. So, Rebel News recently paid a visit to Southside Johnny’s to see what the manager and the owner had to say. Alas, a woman who identified herself as a manager said she could not comment about the case.

So we’re left to ponder: could it be the AGCO erred in its investigation?

And yet, that would seem to be a bit of a stretch. After all, the AGCO states Southside Johnny’s purchased stolen liquor “repeatedly” from thieves who had ripped off the merchandise from a nearby LCBO. In other words, the AGCO’s investigation was not based on a solitary incident of the restaurant buying stolen hootch, but several incidents. How can this be explained?

Of note, licensees who receive a Notice of Proposal have 15 days to appeal – and despite the silent treatment, we think it’s safe to assume Southside Johnny’s is appealing the AGCO edict.

We shall monitor this story in the days and weeks to come. But let it be said that if the AGCO is correct that Southside Johnny’s was profiting from inventory that was stolen from LCBO stores, this is truly egregious.

Indeed, the LCBO is a Crown corporation, meaning all Ontarians are shareholders of the LCBO. Thus, those thieves who were allegedly stealing product from a nearby LCBO weren’t just ripping off a liquor store, but they were also robbing law-abiding taxpayers as well.