Cliff Crider, Founder of Stinger Compliance

They say that the best solutions are built by people who experienced the problem firsthand. This rings true with the founder of Stinger Compliance, Cliff Crider. Crider has ten years of experience as a restaurateur and bar owner in Georgia and proudly falls into the camp of being “alcohol compliance-obsessed.”

It’s due to this passion for alcohol compliance that Crider began building Stinger Compliance in 2023. A recent conversation with Crider reveals the wisdom he has gained throughout his many years of experience in the industry.

Tip #1 – Go Above and Beyond to Avoid Serving Alcohol to Minors

“My number one priority is not serving alcohol to minors,” says Crider.

This comes as no surprise, as preventing illegal alcohol sales is one of the primary issues Stinger Compliance helps businesses address.

“It’s all about lowering my risk as a bar owner. Handing a beer to a minor is bad. Handing a second beer to a minor is worse. You can lose everything if you mishandle this area of your business.”

Crider emphasizes that the first line of defense against illegal sales is a vigilant workforce trained to request identification and take alcohol compliance seriously.

Without what he calls a “religion of compliance,” bar owners and bartenders expose themselves to potential fines, penalties, and even jail time. The livelihood of a business owner depends on employees following the law.

“You also need to remember how creative someone under the legal drinking age will be to drink in your bar. It’s for this reason that you need to make sure everyone knows you mean business.”

Individuals under the legal drinking age of 21 often attempt to bypass rules by using fake identification, borrowing IDs from siblings, altering birth years, distracting staff, sneaking into age-restricted venues, or having older friends purchase alcohol for them.

Because of these tactics, employees selling alcohol or tobacco products must stay alert and know how to identify fake identification.

To help deter underage individuals from attempting to bypass the law, Crider offers the following advice:

“The use of large signage that states ‘We Card,’ ‘We Check ID,’ or ‘We Prosecute’ can go a long way in deterring minors from using fake IDs at your establishment.”

“They need to know that you will enforce the law and make it harder for them to get alcohol at your bar than it is down the street.”

Business owners selling age-restricted products should treat alcohol compliance as mission-critical.

Related Compliance Articles

• The Ultimate Guide to Identifying Fake IDs
• Stinger Answers: Do You Need to Hire Security Personnel?
• The High Cost of Failing a Municipal Sting

Tip #2 – Keep the Community in Mind

Crider also emphasizes another responsibility often overlooked by business owners: protecting the community.

“Be a steward of the community. Be a good neighbor.”

Maintaining alcohol compliance helps protect customers, neighbors, and first responders from potential alcohol-related incidents caused by negligence.

Crider has witnessed neighboring establishments fail Municipal Stings, resulting in penalties or closures. These failures not only impact business owners and employees but also affect the surrounding community.

Additional Reading

• How Stings Protect Minors from Vape-Related Injuries
• Keeping Minors and Communities Safe with Stinger Compliance
• 6 Ways to Protect Your Alcohol License from Suspension

Tip #3 – Employee Management

Crider provides advice for both new and experienced business owners regarding hiring and training practices.

“Make sure your staff is vigilant and takes alcohol compliance personally.”

Success in alcohol compliance begins with proper training and consistent enforcement of rules among staff members.

Employees such as bartenders, servers, and security staff who take compliance seriously are essential to maintaining safe and legal operations.

“If they respect the owners and enjoy where they work, they’ll try to please management and keep their jobs.”

Crider distinguishes between two types of employees in the hospitality industry:

• Professional food and beverage workers who view compliance as part of their career responsibilities.
• Temporary workers who may not treat alcohol compliance with the same level of seriousness.

Strong hiring processes and consistent training can protect business owners from unnecessary risk.

“The compliance training you enforce will weed out bartenders that aren’t serious, and hiring a company that actively Stings will ensure employees remain vigilant.”

Before launching Stinger Compliance, Crider conducted private compliance checks at his own establishments. These checks allowed him to verify employee behavior and enforce internal policies.

He recalls an instance where he had to terminate a favorite bartender after a private compliance check revealed the employee failed to request identification from someone who appeared under 40 years old—violating the company’s alcohol policy.

While difficult, these actions protect the livelihoods of everyone involved in the business.

Tip #4 – The Must-Haves for Opening Day

Opening a restaurant, bar, or retail store involves many moving parts, and Crider acknowledges that not everything will go perfectly.

“There are things that will fall through the cracks. You won’t be able to do everything—but compliance must be a priority.”

According to Crider, the following items must be in place before opening:

• A clearly defined alcohol policy
• Proper compliance signage
• Knowledge of local laws
• Consistent ID verification procedures
• Employees who understand compliance is mission-critical

Crider strongly recommends that every employee read and sign the company’s alcohol policy before beginning work.

This policy outlines the legal requirements and explains the consequences employees may face if violations occur.

Combined with compliance training and private Stings, this documentation helps protect businesses from negligence claims.

When asked whether an alcohol attorney is necessary, Crider explained:

“We have an alcohol attorney, but it’s more of a luxury in the beginning. It becomes a necessity when there’s an issue.”

While legal assistance may not be required immediately, having a documented alcohol policy is absolutely essential.

Tip #5 – Regularly Check Compliance

Crider firmly believes that routine compliance checks are one of the main reasons for his success as a restaurant and bar owner.

“Private Stings polish the sword—they verify who is doing things well and who is not.”

He believes regular compliance checks dramatically improve business operations by identifying employees who may unknowingly put the company at risk.

“Part of the reason we sting our own businesses is to prove we’re doing the right things. If something goes wrong in the future, we can show we were not negligent.”

Crider conducts monthly compliance checks across his locations and uses the findings to improve training and management practices.

Next Steps

Private Stings conducted through Stinger Compliance provide business owners with valuable insight into their operations.

During these anonymous checks, trained Stingers visit locations and evaluate whether staff members are verifying identification and following company policies.

After the visit, business owners receive a detailed report outlining the findings. These Stings are completely risk-free and require no long-term contracts.

Stinger Compliance offers three service packages that include:

• ID verification checks
• Customer service and quality evaluations
• Custom survey questions tailored to your business

Through these services, Stinger Compliance helps business owners strengthen operations and maintain confidence in their compliance practices.

Become a Client Today

Ready to experience the benefits of proactive compliance monitoring? Become a Stinger Compliance client today and protect your business from unnecessary risk.