Up until Thursday, the number of Ball State students who were going to the Madhatter on a weekly basis was steadily growing.
"Before, we would usually go to a house party or something, but now all my friends go there on Thursdays. It's the place to be," Ray Sexton said, referring to the bar's rise in popularity over the past couple of months.
The Madhatter was raided and cited for allowing minors to loiter near the tavern Thursday after state excise police received an anonymous complaint about underage drinking. The bar has been hosting various 18-and-over nights, where a $5 cover charge was all that stood in the way between students and entering the building.
"We had 15 officers surround the perimeter to make sure no one would run, and then once we got inside, we blocked off the bar in order to get people out of there and to check the IDs of those in the bar area. We were primarily concerned with the safety of the people as well as the officers. It can get pretty dangerous when you have that many people trying to get of a place that size," excise officer Brian Lang said.
Although raided for underage drinking, Madhatter bartender Becca Dasilva said the bar is fully capable of making sure the drinks stay out of the hands of minors. She said that people under 21 get different colored wristbands than people over 21, and different markers are used every week to mark the hands of the under 21 patrons.
With a maximum capacity of roughly 350, Sexton, a sophomore construction management major, said getting to the bar early was necessary because once the bar was full, it would turn away anyone under the age of 21.
"We would get there between 10 and 10:30 [p.m.] and a line of probably 100 people would be out the door," he said.
The restriction on the number of minors allowed into the bar, while frustrating for some, is necessary when looked at from a monetary standpoint, said Madhatter bartender Aharon Roberts.
"You have to look at the situation from the bar's point of view," he said. "Every person that goes in there that isn't 21, they won't be buying drinks, which makes it hard for the bar to make anymore money from them."
Roberts, a graduate student, attributes the high attendance numbers to some of the specials the bar offers as well as the disc jockey who has been performing Thursday nights.
"We have penny pitchers from 7 to 11 [p.m.] which are always popular, and then our DJ does a great job of keeping the crowd pumped up and dancing," he said.
Before the raid Thursday night, Ball State police were forced to break up a fight that occurred in the area.
"When you get a large crowd like that, it becomes very hard to monitor and control what is going on," Lang said.
Lang said it was the first time excise had ever done anything of that nature in the area.
"The bar area is sectioned off by wooded floors while the rest of the space is considered a family room. That's where people who are underage can hang out and dance. We went in, blocked off the bar, and checked the IDs of the people in the bar area and got all the other people out of the building as quickly and calmly as we could," Lang said.
When asked whether these types of 18-and-over events are a good idea, Lang reiterated how potentially hazardous it is to have 300 or more people in an area that size, regardless of age.
Roberts also said he thinks safety is a primary concern. He has had to kick people out multiple times and said it isn't something he enjoys doing.
"People forget that I have a job to do when I am working the bar," he said. "When someone is impeding on my ability to do my job, it makes it hard to get things done. It doesn't mean you can't come back next Thursday."
Roberts, who also bartends at Mugly's, said the recent surge in the number of people going to the 18-and-over events has been good not only for the Madhatter, but other Village establishments as well.
"When I first started out, we would only need one bartender at Mugly's on Thursdays, but now we need at least two just to handle to flow of people who are coming from the Madhatter," Roberts said.
With other bars struggling to stay afloat in tough economic times and others shutting down, the rise in popularity of the 18-and-over nights may be the boost the Village needs to stay busy — provided they aren't continuously raided by excise.
The Madhatter is one of the Village bars owned by Myles Ogea. The others include Mugly's and Motinis along with Charlie's Library before it closed down.
Emma Parsons, a bartender at Mugly's, said she thinks that these types of events are beneficial.
"It's been a bigger challenge in the last couple of years for bars to stay open, and I think the more people we can bring in the better. We have karaoke nights on Wednesdays and that brings in a lot of people under 21," she said.
Whether the recent raid will affect the Thursday night events at the Madhatter is currently unknown, as no one from the Madhatter was willing to comment on the situation, including Ogea, who recently acquired ownership of the bar.
"A report of the citation will be forwarded to the Alcohol & Tobacco Coalition, where a prosecutor will recommend a punishment that could range anywhere from being dismissed to getting fined or even having their liquor license revoked," Lang said.
When asked if he thinks the Madhatter will continue hosting these 18-and-over events, Lang said it is up to the management of the bar.
Sexton said he and his friends, however, intend on going back.
"We will definitely keep going if they still have these events," he said. "We'll just have to be more careful about not getting drinks there."
Indiana Code 7.1-5-7-10 states that it is a "Class C misdemeanor for a minor to recklessly be in a tavern, bar, or other public place where alcoholic beverages are sold, bartered, exchanged, given away, provided or furnished."
However, the business is exempt if it complies with one of the following descriptions:
• The restaurant area is separated from the bar where alcoholic drinks are being served
• The business is considered an "entertainment complex"
If food is served at the business, it is legal for minors to attend as long as these conditions are met:
• The minor is 18 or older
• The minor is in the company of a parent, guardian, or family member who is 21 years of age or older.
• The purpose for being on the premises is the consumption of food and not the consumption of alcoholic beverages.
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