Sydney restaurant under investigation after serving 86 shots to just five people
A Korean restaurant based in Australia is being investigated after it served 86 shots to a table of just five people in the space of six hours.
Police allege that Haru Fusion Soju Lounge, in Sydney, served the group 86 standard drinks of the spirit soju to a group of three men and two women who were celebrating a birthday on October 11th.
Soju is a clear spirit with a typical strength of around 20% - though it can be as strong as 50%.
Two of the group - a man and a woman - were found passed out on the road and pavement outside the restaurant.
The woman had passed out in a pool of her own vomit and a man collapsed on the lying on the road nearby, who was moved to the pavement by road workers.
Police arrived at around 1.35am. The pair were subsequently taken to hospital in an ambulance.
Damning CCTV footage from inside the restaurant shows one of the group collapsing into a table after losing his balance.
A staff member can be seen walking past one of the group who was asleep at the table, and a passed out woman is seen being carried out of the restaurant.
NSW Independent Liquor & Gaming Authority has imposed a strike against the eatery as part of the government's three strike disciplinary scheme, however further action is also being considered, such as shortening its trading hours.
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Philip Crawford, chairman of the NSW Liquor and Gaming Authority told ABC News: "It is almost beyond belief that venue staff could serve such a large amount of alcohol to a group of five patrons and not take any steps to avoid extreme intoxication.
"The fact one of the patrons was passed out on the road highlights the risk of serious injury or death.
"The authority will consider imposing a range of special conditions on the venue's liquor licence, as well as winding back the venue's trading hours."
Mr Crawford said consuming soju in such quantities could have potentially been 'life-threatening'.
"It's a pretty serious amount of alcohol,” he said.
"This is a life-threatening incident which we just cannot tolerate. If they were unconscious from drinking too much alcohol, that's a serious breach of the responsible service of alcohol regulations."
