The owners of Quinton’s Bar & Deli, 319 W. Gorham St., defended their business practices in front of the Alcohol License Review Committee Wednesday night as they face possible revocation of their liquor license.

An audit of the establishment’s receipts in the period between May 16, 2007 and Nov. 30, 2007 indicate it was operating as a bar rather than a restaurant. Under Quinton’s alcohol license, a condition requires the establishment make no more than 50 percent of its profits from alcohol sales. The audit calculated 50.82 percent alcohol sales.

Assistant District Attorney Steven Brist proposed either suspension or revocation of the establishment’s ability to sell alcoholic beverages because the conditions of the license have not been met.

Quinton’s owners and their representation, attorney Rick Petri, did not object to the accuracy of the numbers drawn from the audit but told the committee about its strategic marketing efforts to turn the numbers around and reach 60-70 percent food sales.

Jimmy Powers, co-owner of the establishment with his brothers Kevin and Michael Powers, said he was surprised when he opened Quinton’s two years ago and realized the enthusiasm for drinking present in Madison.

“The alcohol situation in this city is one I think everyone is aware of — it likes to drink,” Powers said. “I think it’s time to start working our food and nonalcoholic members to a level higher than we have right now.”

Powers said the establishment has already gone to great lengths with a strategic marketing plan to open the food sector to a wider audience. He said the advertising Quinton’s used to dedicate to drink specials does not exist anymore.

Petri questioned Debra Simon, budget and audit manager for the city of Madison, about the worth of the audit on Quinton’s since it encompassed 6 1/2 months of gross receipts instead of the preferred length of one year.

“It would make sense to do 12 months because there are definitely seasonal variations,” Simon said about the differences in receipts at different times of year.

Simon said she received a formal request to do an audit on Quinton’s in November 2006 and got started early in 2007. Initially, she was unable to perform an audit because she said the documents Quinton’s provided were “handwritten and were not auditable.”

A second audit request came in October 2007, and this time Simon was able to interpret the documents from Quinton’s.

Simon started the audit on May 16 because it was the “first date Quinton’s had the cash-register-generated reports,” she said.

The 50.82 percent alcohol sales were calculated out of the total amount of food, alcohol and retail sales at the establishment located at 319 W. Gorham St. Sales from door entry fees, artwork, shirts, glassware and game royalties were not included in the figure. If these items were included the total amount of alcohol sales would be 50.24 percent.

Brist acknowledged the fact that though Quinton’s alcohol sales are very close to a legitimate 50 percent, the establishment had a duty to uphold the city statute and failed in this responsibility.

Petri asked the committee to think carefully about its decision to revoke the liquor license from a “viable business in this community.”

“To contemplate taking someone’s license for being off two percentage points is a travesty … a slur to what it means to be an American,” Petri said.

The ALRC has not set a date to deliberate, but members said they expect a decision on Quinton’s fate within the next few weeks.