New pub opens at the USC Village

The USC Village welcomes its newest addition to campus: the Irish-pub Rock & Reilly's. The restaurant and bar will open its doors to the Trojan community on Wednesday night.

However, a new bar could lead to another increase in fake IDs and underage drinking.

"I think that part of a freshman's welcoming package at USC is to include a fake ID, because almost all students have them to enter establishments," said DPS Assistant Chief David Carlisle.

Since the opening of the USC Village, DPS reported that there has been an 800 percent rise in fake ID citations. According to Carlisle, the management and security team of this new establishment understands the importance and responsibility they have to closely examine ID's from customers.

He said the restaurant was taking every precaution: "It is purposely positioned on the outskirts of the village, to close the village perimeter at 10 p.m"

Due to past experiences with fake ID´s at USC Village, establishments have a set protocol on checking identifications before serving drinks. "First of all, anybody that sits at the bar, has their ID checked," said Brian East, bartender at village café BBCM.

After checking any customer's ID, bar staff at BBCM scans it through a device named the TGT Identification Card Machine, which electronically verifies birth dates.

Popular village restaurant Greenleaf follows the same protocol. "This amazing machine keeps people to be honest," East said.

It will scan patrons' IDs, determine if they are valid and verify that patrons are of drinking age. East said that local places that serve alcohol have seen a positive outcome of using this machine to prevent underage drinking.

Underage drinking near campus is an important issue for alcohol-serving establishments. "We take that very seriously because we are at a school," said Cira Sanchez, manager at Greenleaf.

Besides restaurants, bars and markets, USC Village is also a home to many underage students that live in the buildings' dorms.

"I think is a good idea for USC students and it's good to have something different in the village," said Cowlings and Ilium Residential College resident Yasmine Hojreh . "It should be fun."

USC students aren't the only new neighbors welcoming the pub. Sanchez said she doesn't consider the restaurant to be competition and hopes it could lead to new clients for Greenleaf. East added that "If Rock & Reilly's gets popular we can cater to their demographic as well."

"We are incredibly honored to have been invited to join the USC community, and are so excited to bring the spirit and energy of Rock & Reilly's to the USC Village Campus," Rock & Reilly's said in a press release sent to Annenberg Media.