Tax Trouble Might Mean No Booze Sales for Heidi's

When the Minnesota Department of Revenue posted its monthly list of restaurants and bars that are allegedly delinquent in their tax payments yesterday, there was a surprising inclusion: Stewart and Heidi Woodman's Heidi's, the upscale Uptown restaurant. Woodman says the posting is a mistake, reports City Pages. According to chef and owner Woodman, Heidi's has a zero balance (and Woodman has actually filed a claim that the restaurant is owed money for overpaying on taxes in the past). In a statement to City Pages, Woodman said he learned of the posting with "not a small amount of disgust", and that the error is "sickening" and "disheartening."

Liquor distributors are banned from selling booze to a restaurant after it's been on the list for three business days ("beginning the third business day...after the date of this list"). Heidi's was listed on Wednesday, December 12th, meaning its ability to purchase liquor ended on Monday, December 17th. (The restaurant can still sell liquor to diners, but it can't purchase more to restock.) Even if Heidi's posting is erroneous, it may take several days to fix, during which time the restaurant could experience significant economic consequences. That is assuming that the world doesn't, in fact, end tomorrow, in which case Heidi's presumably has enough liquor for now.

· Heidi's Gets Dinged in State's Latest Liquor Posting; Stewart Woodman Responds [City Pages]
· Minnesota Department of Revenue Posting of Tax Delinquencies

[Photo: Minneapolis Restaurants Guide]