Bars in Campustown are competing to attract students of legal drinking age as they kick off the semester. This week, Joe’s Brewery is out of the running.

Under Champaign County Mayor Jerry Schweighart’s orders, Joe’s Brewery will remain closed until Aug. 31 because binge drinking games were allowed to be held in the bar, and alcohol was served to minors.

“It’s really frustrating because we can prove that we didn’t do anything wrong, but we’re sentenced anyway,” said Doug Larson, president of Joe’s Brewery. “They (the liquor commission) alleged that we violated the Happy Hour Law. It had to do with a customer playing beer pong. Also, they alleged that we served a 20 year old.”

Joe’s Brewery received fair warning about serving alcoholic beverages to minors and promoting binge drinking games, Schweighart said.

“That has been a cardinal sin to me, and I’ve expressed it to the bars that if they do this, I’m gonna hit you pretty hard,” he added.

While Joe’s Brewery received a seven-day suspension, C.O. Daniel’s must raise its entrance age to 21 years of age until Aug. 23, 2010, according to a press release from Schweighart’s office.

Schweighart said the punishment for C.O. Daniel’s was more severe than Joe’s Brewery because C.O. Daniel’s incurred more violations for serving alcohol to patrons under 21.

“The owner (of C.O. Daniel’s) expressed an interest in selling the establishment,” Schweighart said. “The order was if they sold it, the new owner would not be under the restrictions.”

Other bar owners said they saw an increase in business during the week.

Business at KAM’s soared this week as did the week before, said Eric Meyer, owner of KAM’s.

“Our business has been up all week,” he added. “We’ve also been extremely careful in the areas of ID’s and checking and that nature. We don’t want to be one of those that’s not open.”

C.O. Daniel’s has been closed throughout the summer, Meyer said. He added that the bar remains unopened.

“I’ve got a boost of sales from those,” he said. “If anything it’s making up for some tough economic times when the student population doesn’t have as much money as in the past.”

University students who venture out to the bars responded with mixed reviews about the closings of Joe’s Brewery and C.O. Daniel’s.

“I think they will suffer pretty bad,” said Steve Priest, junior in LAS. “It does seem like the under-aged crowd is usually attracted to C.O.’s more.”

Priest said no bar restricted to those 21 and older could survive on campus.

Other students were disappointed when Joe’s Brewery went under a seven-day suspension.

Haley Verbeke, senior in LAS, said she was shocked to hear the news about her favorite bar.

“It didn’t change going out,” Verbeke said. “We did go to other bars, but it was a more difficult decision.”